This is an example of the utter madness of the SPL's fixture computer. Whoever goes to Ross County is usually facing a lengthy trip and for it to be during the week in winter makes this a particularly bad one. However, this season there are more teams situated in the east of Scotland than the west and it would be a far shorter trip for a Dundee United or a St Johnstone than someone like ourselves. Still, at least this is a one off and we haven't been handed yet another long trip north at Christmas time. What? Oh.
Still, those that make the journey to Victoria Park tomorrow could be in for a cracker as our game against County earlier in the season was one of the most incredible I've ever seen. The first half was relatively sane before a second half goal spree had us in front, only for County to score two in a minute to snatch a point. Except they didn't as Steven Thompson had other ideas, conjuring up an incredible last minute winner. If tomorrow's game is even half as exciting then it will have been a worthwhile trip for those Buddies that make the journey - especially if we end up winning.
That was something we finally managed to do on Saturday, ending a long run without taking three points when we disposed of Dundee. It was a good performance and we fully merited the victory, but we cannot get carried away. The win did not solve all our problems, we are still 11th in the table and we are still in real danger of going down. We need to get a few more wins on the board between now and the winter break, increase the gap to whoever is bottom and get ourselves up a few more places before we can say we've turned the corner. Saturday eased the pressure on the player and the manager but it didn't get rid of it entirely.
We may be forced to make a change to the side that started on Saturday as asking John McGinn to start two games in the space of four days may be asking a bit much. Fortunately, we have the ideal replacement as Dougie Imrie finally got his first goal for us on Saturday, having joined in January. Often a pest against us, he has only shown that menace in flashes while playing in the black and white stripes and that goal should have given him a bit more confidence. It wouldn't be a great surprise if a couple more goals follow in the next few games.
That will probably be the only change, assuming everyone else is fit. Kenny McLean and Lewis Guy did brilliantly to create the first goal for Steven Thompson, who was a real threat all afternoon. Guy will hopefully be fit enough to play again while it was the performance from McLean that showed why he is in such high demand. If he is to leave in January hopefully he can play like that for the next month or so as not only would it help us on the park it might get us a bit more cash! The defence was pretty solid against Dundee and the likes of Gary Teale and Jim Goodwin also did well so I can't see too many other changes.
It's little surprise that Ross County have adapted so well to life in the SPL. They cruised to last year's first division title, going on an incredible unbeaten run, and still had a number of players that had been involved in the 2010 Scottish Cup campaign that saw them beat Celtic on their way to the final. In Derek Adams they have a terrifically talented young manager who is surely destined for greater things, making his decision to have a spell as assistant manager at Hibs while Colin Calderwood was in charge all the more strange. They are probably one of the best newly promoted sides the SPL has seen for some time - especially as they weren't a club bouncing back after relegation - and it would be a huge surprise if they were involved in the battle to beat the drop, although they are currently just a point better off than us.
While County have done well, it should be remembered they've managed to what they have this season without Michael Gardyne and Mark Millar, two key members of last season's squad who decided to sign for Dundee United and St Johnstone respectively. That has put even more onus on skipper and former Saint Richard Brittain. His two year spell at Love Street was hampered by injuries and perhaps being played out of position but he has done a fine job for County over the last few years, firing in 12 goals from midfield last year. He is a player who could well end up at another SPL club next season when his contract expires. Whether the same can be said for fellow ex Saints Paul Lawson and Mark Corcoran remains to be seen as they haven't really been involved much this year - although perhaps Corcoran is being saved for games against Motherwell...
Tomorrow sees us go up against another familiar face, although this one is notable for all the wrong reasons. I thought we'd finally seen the last of Ross Tokely when Caley Thistle got shot of him in the summer so was rather surprised to see Adams take him to Victoria Park. It's nothing to do with the rivalry aspect as County and Caley Thistle seem to swap players on a fairly regular basis. Tokely joins Grant Munro, keeper Michael Fraser and talented midfielder Iain Vigurs in the Staggie's Caley Thistle old boys club, while in the past the Inverness side have taken the likes of Don Cowie and John Rankin across the Kessock Bridge. Caley Thistle have usually been signing players on their way up rather than ones that have been released as they've often been a division or two higher, but you can't argue with the job their former players are doing for their current employers at the moment.
There are plenty of players we need to watch out for tomorrow - not just ones that used to play for us or have committed a heinous offence in the past. Rocco Quinn scored twice in that ridiculous game earlier in the season while Colin McMenamin has a proven track record in the lower leagues and should probably have scored more than he's managed so far. Young forward Steven Ross is earning rave reviews at the moment, having scored the winner against Hibs, and will also be a danger, and we also need to watch out for Mark Fotheringham. The midfielder managed to get himself a trial at a few clubs in Germany over the summer before ending up in Dingwall and certainly has the talent to make an impact at this level, having started off his career at Celtic and had a few stints at Dundee since.