Malky Mackay wants Ross County to draw belief from the fact they have defeated all but one of their bottom-half opponents this term.
The Staggies play their first post-split fixture on Saturday when Livingston make the trip to Victoria Park.
It is their first outing since they suffered a chastening 6-1 defeat to Hearts at Tynecastle.
County are looking to claw back ground on Dundee United and Kilmarnock above them, having fallen four points adrift at the foot of the Premiership table.
Aside from Motherwell, County have recorded victories against each of the sides that make up the bottom half of the league.
Of the seven wins the Staggies have claimed this term, five have come against fellow bottom-six sides.
Despite going into the upcoming fixtures with a deficit to make up, Mackay feels his players should approach the run-in with conviction.
He said: “It’s one of the key things I’ve been speaking to the lads about, that the teams we are playing in these last five games are teams we’ve done well against.
“We’ve just got to make sure we get boys to that level again, like we did for the three weeks leading up to the Hearts game.
“We’ve probably let ourselves down twice this season – against Motherwell and Hearts.
“We have had periods where I’ve been unhappy with bits and pieces, but most games have been nip and tuck, so we have to get ourselves back to the level we were at against St Johnstone, Aberdeen and Celtic.
“In those games we played against two of the form teams in the league, and St Johnstone are in our group now.
“That’s what I’ve been working on all week, getting back to that frame of mind we were in before the Hearts game.”
Staggies eager to remove Tynecastle humiliation from system
Mackay is confident of a response from his side, two weeks on from their humiliating loss in Edinburgh.
The Staggies boss added: “We didn’t particularly see that result or performance coming.
“We’ve gone into weeks where we’ve gone and won at St Johnstone, and got results that have made people sit up and take notice.
“I know what I get from them week in, week out in terms of energy, and their desire and willingness to make the game tough for the opposition.
“That’s what we’ve got to get back to. We’re going to need it against Livingston.
“We have to go back to a team that is dependable on the pitch for 95 minutes.”
Livi in safe position ahead of Dingwall trip
Saturday’s opponents Livi are comfortably clear of the relegation drama, having narrowly missed out on a top-six berth.
Mackay rejects any notion David Martindale’s men will drop their focus.
He added: “I understand why people might think that, but I would be incredibly surprised if they come here feeling as if they are on the beach so to speak.
“I don’t think David would allow his team to do that.
“He will be disappointed that they never made the top six. I looked at their team, and I thought they might have made the top six, but I don’t think that disappointment will carry into the game.
“We’ve got a tough game ahead of us.
“We know that they will fight and scrap until the last minute, it has been like that every time we’ve played against them.
“I’m not expecting any different on Saturday, but I’m glad we’ve got it here on grass instead of at their astro.”
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