Mackay makes a case for defence

Ross County have gained plaudits for their goal threat, but Malky Mackay takes equal satisfaction from the defensive improvement shown by his side.

The Staggies remain the fourth-highest scorers in the Premiership, with 45 strikes to their name.

County’s goals against record is not as impressive however, with only bottom side Dundee having conceded more.

Mackay has seen reason to believe his side has tightened up in recent weeks, recording four clean sheets from their last seven games.

That sequence follows a three-month period without a shutout, which Mackay feels is a strong step in the right direction.

The manager, who is boosted by the return of Jack Baldwin from suspension, said: “I’m delighted about that, as clearly at one point in the season we were leaking a lot of goals.

“It’s getting a stable back four for a start, and a stable relationship between the back four and goalkeeper which has been happening recently.

“It’s also about having a group able to play in a certain manner that means we can shut down the opposition.

“That’s really pleasing, because it means if we do that at one end it gives us a chance to attack with a threat.

“One goal can do it, and as I’ve said before 1-0 is the best result in the world – unless it’s 5-0.”

County host Motherwell today, with the Staggies just a point ahead of the sixth-placed Steelmen.

Although the result could have a major bearing on who qualifies for Europe, Mackay says his side will not lose focus on the task at hand.

Mackay added: “I said last week that ourselves, Motherwell and Dundee United are in a little minileague of our own in terms of vying for those two spots and having the carrot of Europe in front of us.

“It is different, but as far as the team is concerned – and our focus – it is business as usual.

“It is Motherwell coming up here and we need to win, and they need to win.

“Everything that goes on around that, we’ve dealt with to this point in the season.

“If you think about the targets we’ve set in terms of managing to get back into the pack, managing to get into the top six and then seeing where we go after that, people just get down to their day-to-day work.

“It will just be exactly like that up until 3pm on Saturday so that we’re ready to give everything we’ve got against a good Motherwell team.”

Motherwell go into the game bereft of form, having won just one of their 15 league matches since the turn of the year.

Mackay, whose side have won the last two meetings between the sides, is reading little into that statistic.

He added: “I’ve got the greatest respect for Graham Alexander and know him really well.

“I know he’ll be doing everything he can to drive his team on given that there are so few points between us, Dundee United and Motherwell.

“They have Kevin van Veen back as well and I also know they hit the woodwork twice up at Tannadice in a very tight game.

“We’ll certainly be very wary of what comes here on Saturday.”

GETTING BETTER: Malky Mackay sees a huge improvement in the Staggies’ defence as they charge up the league.