Ross County manager Jim McIntyre has won the Premiership manager of the month award for February.
Despite starting the month with a 4-0 reverse against Aberdeen at Pittodrie, which left them six points adrift at the bottom of the league, McIntyre went on to guide the Staggies to three straight victories.
County’s spirited 3-2 victory against Motherwell at Victoria Park was just their third victory of the season, with the Dingwall side going on to defeat Partick Thistle 3-1 at Firhill a week later, before ending the month with a 1-0 home win against Dundee.
The Staggies have since gone on to make it four wins in a row and five matches undefeated having started March with a 1-0 victory against Partick Thistle, prior to yesterday’s 2-2 draw with Hamilton which leaves them four points ahead of bottom placed St Mirren.
Although pleased to lift the award, McIntyre has challenged his players to maintain their form in the remaining nine matches, as County look to secure their top-flight status for a fourth successive season.
McIntyre said: “Managers don’t get these awards unless their team is playing well so it’s an honour for everyone at the club.
“Being in the position we were in and on a really poor run it was so important that we kept on believing and we did have a firm belief that we would win games.
“Putting these wins together has been great, a real shot in the arm. But all it’s done is given us a chance and that’s what we wanted.
“The hard part now is to keep that going. But the players have been excellent. We’ve kept their heads up and they’ve done likewise by doing a lot of good things on the training ground and by being professional.
“They had the belief that they could turn things around and that we could get ourselves back to the teams above us and we’ve managed to do that.
“But, as I’ve already said, we know that the hardest part has still to come.”