The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Staggies backed to come through barren spell
Ross County manager Jim McIntyre is confident his misfiring Staggies will quickly rediscover the path to goal.
The Dingwall men are the lowest scorers in the Premiership with just seven goals this term, and have not found the net since a 1-1 draw at home to Motherwell on September 10.
County’s attacking options have been limited in recent weeks, following knee injuries to leading scorer Liam Boyce and Dutchman Alex Schalk, leaving Craig Curran and 18-year-old Greg Morrison as the Highlanders’ only fully fit forwards.
McIntyre is not concerned by his side’s recent goal drought, and he said: “We’re going through a wee spell just now, where, when we do produce some good football and get balls into the box, we’re not quite getting somebody on the end of it.
“When we do get bodies in the box, the final part has got to be better. We’ve just got to keep grafting away. We’re a good side and we’ll come again.
“We’ve got a great group in the dressing room so I’ve not got any issues with that at all.”
County are only three points above bottom-placed Dundee having failed to win since a 2-0 home victory against Kilmarnock on August 20, but McIntyre is not alarmed by recent form ahead of Saturday’s crucial trip to Partick Thistle.
He added: “Every game is important. People will try and use the stat we’ve not won in six, but we’ll look at it and say we’ve drawn three of those matches and two have been at Ibrox and Tynecastle. We’re never displeased with that.
“In those two games we were set up defensively to play on the counter attack and we picked up two good points.
“The performance at home to St Johnstone wasn’t good enough, while in the other games we’ve created chances to win but not taken them.
“Where we have let ourselves down is at home, where we’ve not picked up enough points.
“It’s important we get back on the winning trail, whether that’s at home or away, but we’ve got to give ourselves a chance by keeping 11 men on the pitch for a start.”