Don Cowie says last weekend underlines why Ross County must prepare to face the best version of Hibernian on Saturday.
Hibs fell short of a top-half finish, leaving Nick Montgomery’s side with little to play for other than attempting to end the campaign as the Premiership’s best of the rest.
The Edinburgh outfit made a flying start to their post-split campaign, as they cruised to a comfortable 3-1 victory against St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park.
It was a result which helped the second-bottom Staggies, who are a point adrift of Saints, in spite of their own 2-0 reverse away to Livingston.
But it served as a clear indication to County interim boss Cowie that Hibs are in no mood to wind down at the tail end of an under-par campaign.
Cowie said: “I played for Hearts and know the demands which come with playing for one of the big city clubs.
“The expectation is to be a top-six team and they will be disappointed they haven’t managed to do that.
“The expectations of the fans mean they will not be able to coast until the end of the season.
“Saturday was clear evidence of that so we’ll be expecting the best version of Hibs and a team confident on the back of a very good away performance.”
Staggies looking to get off mark after split
County have yet to defeat Hibs this season, having twice drawn 2-2 with the Edinburgh outfit – who also recorded a 2-0 triumph when the sides met at Easter Road in March.
Cowie says Hibs’ firepower makes them a threatening proposition this weekend, adding: “They are a very dangerous team. I saw what they did on Saturday against St Johnstone. We’ve played them three times and they are a team, going forward, who are very exciting.
“That’s the model they play with – they are expansive and have two full-backs that bomb forward as well.
“They are quite happy to play on the front foot so we are going to have to defend really well.
“I’ve spoken about it time and again, concentration levels have to be at their highest.
“Then, I always believe we have individuals and a group that can hurt the opposition. It is about creating that gameplan for that to happen.”
Marshall will be formidable barrier to County efforts
Cowie will come up against a familiar face this weekend, in the shape of his former Cardiff City team-mate David Marshall.
Veteran goalkeeper Marshall, who recently turned 39, has played all but one of Hibs’ matches in all competitions this season.
At the tail end of a successful career, in which he has won 47 Scotland caps, Cowie feels Marshall has maintained his high standards.
Cowie added: “He’s someone I know really well, who is having a fantastic career and still going strong.
“He has played pretty much the majority of the season which is testament to him as a person and his professionalism.
“He has real quality and hopefully he doesn’t show that this week.
“We will look to put him under a lot of pressure and take advantage, and try and get the result we believe we can get.”
Conversation