Ross County midfielder Harry Paton hopes the Staggies can reap the rewards for refusing to panic during their recent struggles.
County halted a 12-match sequence without a league victory with Wednesday’s impressive 2-0 triumph over Hibernian at Easter Road, which moved the Staggies off the foot of the table.
The Dingwall side’s dismal run had stretched back to a 1-0 victory over today’s opponents St Johnstone on September 19.
The sequence of poor results led to the dismissal of manager Stuart Kettlewell last month, with John Hughes taking over before halting the slide in his third match in charge against his former club in Edinburgh in midweek.
Canadian Paton insists County remained confident in their ability throughout the difficult times, and he hopes Wednesday’s triumph can kick start the Staggies’ season as they aim for another strong result against Saints this afternoon.
Paton said: “It has been a long time coming. It was really tough last weekend against St Mirren, because we were playing the same kind of football until we got the man sent off.
“The boys have been really good, and we know what we can do. It’s just good to show that with the result against Hibs.
“The clean sheet is the main thing. If you can scrap to get the goal and get the three points that’s great.
“We have created a lot of chances and had good possession, but the clean sheet is the bare minimum for us and if we can get goals it’s even better.
“As the manager has said, we just have to keep going. If things are going well, or if they are going badly, it’s just the same mentality.
“We need to take this performance into the game against St Johnstone this weekend and try to build on it.
“We just need to keep playing the same way we have been playing.”
Paton netted the Staggies’ opener against Hibs to end a 571 minute goal drought since they last scored in their Betfred Cup victory over Celtic in November, with Oli Shaw securing the points with a late second goal.
It was Paton’s first league goal for the Highlanders, with his three previous strikes for the club coming in the Betfred Cup since his move from Hearts in 2018.
Paton has increasingly become a mainstay of County’s side, having now amassed 55 appearances, however he says adding goals to his game has been a long-held target.
Paton added: “It was great for me personally to get the goal. I’ve been searching for that all season.
“I’ve been getting chances, it’s just nice to have it finally pay off.
“I’ve been working hard in training. When I get into those positions I need to be composed to finish the ball and get it on target.
“It has been coming along and I showed against Hibs I can score.
“It was a great finish, with my left foot as well – I think I’m more of a left footer now.”
Paton has been impressed by the impact made by Hughes since the former Caley Thistle manager was appointed on December 21.
County’s busy schedule has resulted in limited training time under the new regime, however Paton is keen for the games to keep coming thick and fast.
He added: “It has been really good. He’s a really good manager and he has been working well with individuals and with us as a team.
“We want all the games to be coming up. We don’t want to be training. We need to take that and keep going.”
