Ross County midfielder Dean Cornelius looking for Staggies to send a message to Championship rivals when St Johnstone visit Dingwall
Dean Cornelius says Ross County have the opportunity to send a message to the rest of their Championship rivals when St Johnstone visit Dingwall on Friday night.
It will be a clash of two sides who have been backed as promotion favourites, having both just dropped down from the Premiership following relegation last season.
They had contrasting fortunes on day one of the Championship season though. While County threw away a two-goal lead against Airdrieonians and had to settle for a point, St Johnstone thrashed Partick Thistle 5-1 to jump straight to the top of the table.
Those results, though, only mean that if the Staggies can claim victory over the Perth Saints this week, it would signal that County mean business in their pursuit of an immediate return to the top flight.
"St Johnstone did a job on a team in Partick Thistle who beat us the previous week, but we will see that as a challenge,” Cornelius said.
“We will be up for it on Friday. If St Johnstone think they can come here and walk over us, that won't be the case.
"The Scottish Championship is a tough league, and all the teams are capable of winning on any given week, so we know we must be up for it every single game.
"We have to improve on what we did on Saturday and try to get three points each week.
"It is early in the season, but it is a chance to send out a message to the rest of the league. St Johnstone have already done that, with a big win on the opening day. Credit to them, but we can only focus on ourselves.
"We've been working hard in training every day to ensure we're as prepared as possible for Friday. When it comes to kick-off, hopefully we can get three points.”
On a personal note, Cornelius returned to Scotland to sign for County after a frustrating season with Harrogate Town.
His English adventure had started promisingly, playing most weeks as Harrogate recorded their highest ever league finish in the English pyramid.
However, after being starved of game time, Cornelius feels he has a point to prove – an attitude that fits in well with a Staggies squad determined to make amends for last season’s failures.
"I'm loving it here, it's a breath of fresh air,” the former Motherwell man added.
"Last season I went from such a high to a low personally, and collectively as a team. It went really well in the first year, but it wasn’t to be in the second. It was good to get a fresh start and, when the opportunity came up at Ross County, I grabbed it with two hands.
"I've got a point to prove, having already played for Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership. I always back myself as a footballer, and I was frustrated. I want to do better.
"The Scottish Championship is new for me, having played at a higher level, but I always want to push myself, and that's why I moved here.
"I want to try and get back to the Premiership with this team. There's a good mix of experienced players who have played at a higher level and been there and done it, with good youthful players throughout the squad.
"There is a good energy around us, and we're all on board. We're up for the challenge and we're ready for Friday night, and for the upcoming season.”