Don Cowie hails return of ‘spirit and togetherness’ at Ross County
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DON Cowie only had to glance around the dressing room at 5pm on Saturday to know Ross County’s wounds and divisions had healed.
In among the Staggies’ celebrating match-day performers were six or seven injured players who could easily have long since slipped away home.
The County interim manager believes that spirit of togetherness, so lacking at the start of the year, can be the single biggest factor in the Premiership survival effort.
While realistic about the scale of challenges ahead, Cowie, after his first win as temporary manager, feels the group can build on that positivity and rekindled confidence.
“The biggest thing is the spirit and togetherness,” Cowie, preparing for St Mirren’s visit tonight, said. “In the dressing room on Saturday, every injured player was in there after the game. I can’t stress enough how important it is that we’re united.
“We have a lot of players injured right now and they still have a role to play. I said that from the first moment I came in.
“They need to help the players who are playing, encourage them, give them advice – and it will make us a better team by doing that.”
Cowie’s own calm focus and belief in the players appears to be rubbing off.
Losing an 86th minute leveller against relegation rivals Livingston at home on Saturday might easily have crushed the spirit after so many setbacks.
Instead, it galvanised them and they got the winner.
“We’ve got to set our sights on the teams above us now – we have to think positively,” Cowie said.
“We enjoyed the feeling on Saturday evening, as the win had been a long time coming. It is now about recovery and preparation for St Mirren.
“We’ve had a very difficult run fixture-wise, with five out of six away from home. It’s nice to be at home for four of the next five.
“It was nice to be a threat and score goals – I’m sure the supporters enjoyed that aspect.
“It is now about trying to eradicate the sloppy goals we conceded.
“They have been given away a little too easily. That’s something we’ll work on.”
