Stendel wants cup boost in battle for survival

Hearts manager Daniel Stendel has told his team to aim for cup glory and bring some positivity back to the club after the prospect of relegation became even more real.

St Mirren’s late win at Motherwell on Tuesday left Hearts six points adrift of guaranteed safety in the Premiership after their previous game, a 2-2 home draw with 10-man Hamilton, kept them bottom of the table.

Rangers are the only Premiership team Stendel has tasted victory against in 11 league matches in charge and they visit Tynecastle again in the Scottish Cup quarter-finals tomorrow.

The German said: “I think Rangers will be more focused for this game – the cup is a good

“We need better resultsnow.We want to start on Saturday”

chance for everyone to win a trophy, and especially after the first game. But for us it’s important that we know we can win, that we play at Tynecastle, that we have the support that we need against Rangers.

“The game will not change our situation in the league but it can give us a lift for the next couple of games, especially after Tuesday night we all know we have no time for better results – we need better results. We want to start on Saturday.

“It’s a big chance to have positive thoughts in our head for everything we can do in the season.

“The league has not given us much positive thoughts but the cup is a big chance. There are three games left and, if we can win, then we can maybe play next year in the Europa League.

“It’s a good chance but we are focused on this game. Rangers are one of the biggest teams but we beat Rangers a few weeks ago and why not again?”

Ross County co-manager Stuart Kettlewell says there will be no break for the Staggies despite being out of action this weekend.

County’s elimination from the Scottish Cup against Ayr United in January means they are without a game during this weekend’s schedule of quarter-final ties, with their next game away to Motherwell on Wednesday.

Kettlewell, pictured right, says the Dingwall men will adhere to a regular training schedule ahead of the trip to Fir Park.

He said: “We don’t put the tools away here. We have to go and look at our next game.

“The work begins for that now. I’ve heard terminology in the past that this is a dead week.

“We see this as a working week. We see this as a week where we’re going to pitch in a plan and get players conditioned for the next chunk of games.

“We’re going to work – we’re going to be in over the weekend. We’re going to put demands on players, to try to set a standard and stay at that standard.

“We’ve spoken about consistency all year and the only way you get that is through this work ethic and putting in the hours.”

County have taken four points from their last two matches against St Johnstone and Aberdeen to boost their Premiership survival hopes, with eight points now separating them from Hamilton Accies in the relegation play-off spot. Kettlewell insists there is still plenty work ahead for his side, adding: “The last couple of weeks have been very good but we don’t want to do is just give ourselves a pat on the back. “This gives us a foundation to build on. It’s up to us to go and deliver on that with performances and results in the next few weeks.

“We play Motherwell and Rangers and we also go into that spell where it is teams currently below us in the table. It’s a massive period and it is only going to get bigger and bigger as time goes on.

“As long as teams are behind us, the desperation and the willingness to try and get some sort of result for them becomes massive.

“We know the pressure will just continue to build.

“We know the eyes will be focused on that bottom end of the table, with so much to play for.

“It’s just important we brace ourselves and compose ourselves in the way we have done in the last couple of games.”