SCOTT BOYD insists Ross County remain right in the thick of the survival battle - even if they aren't playing like your average relegation-threatened team.
The Staggies have surged to a seven-game unbeaten run, featuring six victories since mid-February, singling them out as the SPFL Premiership's form team above Celtic.
Defender Boyd, now one of the two longest-serving performers at the club, has been here before, though, and knows only too well how much hard work remains over the next seven matches.
What the 28-year-old does concede, however, is that County's form and resurgent confidence makes them far from a typical candidate for the drop.
Boyd said: "I hadn't realised we were now the form team in the country, but that is great to know.
"The confidence is really high. We're working really hard to try and get ourselves up the league.
"It has been a long season but hopefully we can continue in this vein for the last seven games.
"Confidence is the main thing - we're playing with a bit of freedom.
"We know there is a lot at stake, but the mind-set is a real positive one to have at this time of the season.
"Equally, though, we're going into every game knowing how tough it will be. We see it as seven cup finals now. It is still so tight and we have to be wary of that."
Putting a finger on just why County's transformation has been so dramatic is no easy matter, although, clearly, the squad has been gutted and revitalised through a period of six months in the season.
The gelling process, given the high player turnover, took time but Boyd credits the buoyancy of the managerial pairing of Jim McIntyre and Billy Dodds in preventing the dressing room sinking into low morale and defeatism.
He said: "At the start of the season we were maybe a little bit unfortunate, but we kept working hard and kept believing.
"The manager and Billy Dodds kept at us, even when we weren't winning games, letting us know we were doing well.
"It is not something that has changed overnight, but we kept at it and fortunately it turned around for us. The hard work is paying off.
"But as I keep saying, there's still a long way to go and we are still in a battle."
St Johnstone have already beaten County home and away this season, on both occasions by a two-goal margin.
Then again, Dundee United hosted the Dingwall team at Tannadice having also previously completed a double over them in the current campaign.
Boyd said: "It was a similar scenario on Saturday against Dundee United, but we are a different side now.
"Tomorrow night against St Johnstone is another chance to earn three points and get up the league towards safety."
Manager McIntyre will have the recently outstanding Michael Gardyne available again after he missed Tannadice through the terms of his loan agreement.
But such was the strength of performance against Dundee United, the manager has a decision to make.
McIntyre said: "The players have made it difficult for me, of course they have.
"Those who have been on the sidelines have been desperate to be part of it, so that's keeping everybody on their toes.
"That's exactly what you want. Everybody in the squad will be required. It's great we've got that competition for places at the moment.
"We're playing a very good side tomorrow night who are more than capable of beating us. They've done that twice this season, so it is going to be a really tough game.
"We're in a better place than what we were the last time the teams met so, hopefully, we can keep the level of performance up.
"The games are coming thick and fast just now and, obviously, there's huge importance in each one of them."
McIntyre has no fresh injury concerns, with Rocco Quinn, Richard Brittain and Ben Frempah all back in the squad after longer-term lay-offs.
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