WHISPER it in the company of Ross County’s management team, but this is beginning to look like a title procession for last season’s bottom of the Premiership club.

Anyone talking Championship triumphs or insurmountable points margins in the company of co-managers Stuart Kettlewell or Steven Ferguson is destined to draw a stare icy enough to wither a pot-plant, mind you.

But evidence is mounting. A squad that has absorbed eye-watering injury troubles this season remains a relentless winning machine in the league, churning up opponents like Morton even when decidedly off-colour.

This was a fifth straight league victory for County and seventh win from nine in all competitions.

Should the Staggies beat Falkirk tomorrow night in their home game in hand, they would move 11 points clear of second top Dundee United, losers at Firhill on Saturday, with only nine games to play.

Before the Tannadice team kicks another ball, County also play local rivals Caley Thistle on Friday night, offering the chance to stretch the advantage further.

Of course, results could conceivably flip the other way – and therein lies the motivation for studied caution within County ranks.

The Dingwall team hasn’t achieved consistency and superiority this season by looking too far beyond their next match and the management’s steely focus is mirrored resolutely among the playing squad.

Josh Mullin, scorer of the breakthrough goal early in the second half against Morton, echoed the post-match sentiments of Kettlewell by vowing to take it the proverbial one game at a time.

“We heard about Dundee United’s result at Partick, but we’re just focusing on ourselves and on Tuesday night,” the former Livingston winger said. “We’re genuinely looking no further than that. It’s a free hit for us against Falkirk and we want to make it count.

“It would be massive to go 11 points clear and we know, as long as we win our games, we will take care of ourselves. I’ve been in the situation myself of being second in the table before and teams chasing are trying to put pressure on us, but we’re all under pressure.”

Mullin admitted County were “sluggish” in the first half against Morton, but felt the reaction after the break was excellent as he and Brian Graham shot down the Cappielow side.

“Maybe the fact we had no game last week played a part, but we knew at the break the standard wasn’t quite right,” the 26-year-old said. “We rectified it in the second half and had more control in the game. We created chances and took them.

“We’ve always reacted well in these situations and we know, if you get the win at the end, nobody talks about the first half. Getting the three points was massive.”

It was Mullin’s 10th goal of the season, having last summer knocked back the chance to remain part of Livingston’s adventures on returning to the Premiership.

He feels much of the credit for County’s, and his own, progress goes to injured striker Billy Mckay.

“It’s my first season in double figures, but I should have had it a lot sooner,” Mullin said. “The boys have given me stick about it, to be fair, and Billy Mckay told me he’s been stuck there before. He just kept telling me to relax and it would come.

“Billy has been excellent for us and I’ve got close to him since I’ve been here. It’s a shame he is out with a broken arm, but his 20 goals have helped put us where we are now and it’s credit to Billy.

“For all his goals, Billy is an all-round striker. He loves to come short to play to feet and even though he has scored 20 times he is not a selfish striker. He’s been great for me on and off the pitch, giving me a lot of pointers.”

A wintry day threw everything at the Global Energy Stadium – wind, rain, hail and then snow – but there was little on the park to warm the fans in the first half.

The small Morton contingent would certainly have been the happier before the break, but it was mostly lame stuff in the final third.

After all the huffing and puffing, though, it took the Staggies 10 second half minutes to make the breakthrough. Kenny van der Weg played a pass to Michael Gardyne on the left and the winger’s dangerous delivery created panic.

The ball broke to Mullin eight yards out and the wide man had time to steady before thrashing in the opener.

County then blooded Don Cowie after 78 minutes, to immediate effect. Cowie’s fine cross from the left with the outside of his foot found Graham, ghosting in at the far post and tucking away a brave header.

“I felt, up until Ross County scored, we’d had a really nice, solid shape,” Morton Manager Jonatan Johansson stressed. “But we didn’t have enough shots on target and didn’t work the keeper enough.

“The manner of the first goal was poor. We must make it more difficult for opponents to get crosses into the box at times.”