Don Cowie says Ross County’s heroics against Rangers must be left in the past as they begin their crucial post-split run-in.
The Staggies produced a stunning 3-2 victory against the Gers in their last outing, which has teed them up for their five remaining bottom-six matches.
The Dingwall side make the trip to bottom side Livingston on Saturday, with the opportunity to mathematically confirm the Lions’ relegation with a victory in West Lothian.
While Cowie says County’s historic first triumph against the Ibrox outfit has produced a buoyant reaction, he says the Staggies must be ready to meet a different challenge in their remaining fixtures.
Cowie said: “It is really positive. It was a really good team performance and we got the result we wanted.
“I felt it was important we analysed the game, reflected on not just the result, but the performance which was really encouraging.
“But then the message was really clear after a couple of days – it has gone.
“We did well, we got three important points, but we now have to look forward.
“We have to be mentally ready and prepared for a totally different game this week.
“Expectation levels go up because we’ve beaten Rangers and all of a sudden we’re playing a team at the bottom of the league.
“As a group and as players individually, they have to be prepared and ready for that.”
Staggies on track – but much work still lies ahead
Cowie has kept the Staggies firmly in the mix to avoid a second successive relegation play-off, with a haul of 11 points from 10 matches since taking over as interim manager in February.
Having achieved the initial target he set out early on in his reign, he insists plenty work still lies ahead in the post-split run-in.
Cowie added: “I see a group that has looked very comfortable with the situation. They can see the progress they are making as a group, so they should feel good about themselves.
“I said maybe four to six weeks ago that we wanted to be in a position, going into the split, where we were fighting to stay in this league. I see a team that’s doing that.
“Now, it’s about five very important games and making sure we do our best in them.”
With a gap of a fortnight between games, Cowie took the Staggies on a warm weather training camp to the outskirts of Marbella in Spain – which he hopes can refocus his squad ahead of a crucial upcoming spell.
He added: “It was a trip planned a few weeks ago. It was well-timed on the back of getting a really good result against Rangers.
Well done @RossCounty 💪! Excellent training camp 👏 for the final stretch of the season in the 🏴 league! We wish you all the best 🤝 !
Bien hecho @RossCounty 💪 ! Excelente concentración 👏 para la recta final de la temporada en la liga 🏴 ¡Os deseamos todo lo mejor 🤝 ! pic.twitter.com/GQKbPSOfK4
— Marbella Football Center (@MarbellaFCenter) April 19, 2024
“It was about us getting together as a group and really just getting ready for five very important games.
“That allowed people to recharge, do some training and get some downtime as well.
“It was really valuable for us.”
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