Lennon looking to snuff out County threat St Mirren manager Danny Lennon will bid to utilise his players' adaptability as they bid to prevent Ross County embarking on another unbeaten run. County's 40-match undefeated league stretch came to an end with a 2-1 defeat by St Johnstone last Saturday and manager Derek Adams has signalled they will go back to being hard to beat after losing a late goal as they chased three points. But Lennon's side showed they had the scope to break down stubborn opponents when Lee Mair's last-minute goal gave them a 1-0 win over Hamilton in the Scottish Communities League Cup on Tuesday. Added to that, St Mirren beat County 2-1 in Dingwall in the Scottish Cup in the midst of their 13-month league run. Lennon said: "I have to give Derek and his staff great credit for their phenomenal run of 40 games unbeaten stretching over the two hardest leagues in Scotland. "It's a fantastic achievement and Derek thoroughly deserved the manager of the month. Their run has come to an end and we must be ready for whatever reaction Ross County give us. "We certainly know from the cup tie last season, when they held us to a replay , they are a very difficult team. "We certainly know the challenge that lies ahead. We got a wee taste of it the other night against Hamilton, a very difficult team to break down, and Ross County set themselves up in a similar manner "We tried a few things the other night, some things we liked, some things we didn't like." Saints have doubts over Kenny McLean and Graham Carey ahead of the clash. Carey has a minor calf problem while McLean has been carrying a knock for several weeks and will be assessed. Darren McGregor underwent surgery on his ruptured cruciate ligament on Thursday while fellow long-term absentee Grant Adam has stepped up his recovery from a fractured leg. Meanwhile, Ross County left-back Marc Fitzpatrick is determined to show the SPL that they will not buckle just because their run has come to an end. "Obviously we were very disappointed," the former Motherwell player said. "It's never nice to lose a game and we have not felt it in a long time. "After the initial disappointment we were determined to pick ourselves back up. "That's when you show your character. We have not had that setback for all those games. "Now we have had that, we can show teams we are not going to lie down just because our unbeaten run is away, that we are mentally strong enough to deal with defeat and come back and get three points." County had tasted defeat during that spell spanning their Irn-Bru First Division title charge when St Mirren won 2-1 in Dingwall in a William Hill Scottish Cup replay February. But Derek Adams' side would have progressed in Paisley had Richard Brittain converted a last-minute penalty and Fitzpatrick is confident they can continue to compete. He said: "We are on a level with them now, if you like. "Last season we maybe upped our game a bit, thinking they are an SPL side. Now we are an SPL side and we have to do that week in, week out so it`s a different game entirely. "We could have beaten them down there and it was a great team performance. "That shows you we had the quality last season and have the quality this season to win these games." Mark Corcoran (groin) and Alex Cooper (ankle) are still missing. Goalkeeper Joe Malin has recovered from injury but now finds himself third choice and is available for loan. Midfielder Mark Fotheringham is pushing for a debut two weeks after signing for the club.
Source: PA
