Ross County winger Tony Dingwall's season starts now after he scored against Celtic in County's 4-1 defeat before the international break in only his third start of the campaign. Now manager Jim McIntyre wants the wide player to build on his performance against Motherwell today. County are fifth having suffered three consecutive league defeats to leave them just four points above their 10th-placed visitors. McIntyre said: "I thought he was our best player on the day, he showed real courage in trying to get at the full-back at every opportunity, and deserved his goal. That's just a starting platform for Tony, for me his season is just starting now. It's up to him now to put that run of form together. It was great to see him play well. He has shown that over the last few weeks in training and got his opportunity, and now it's about making sure he keeps the jersey."
Dingwall caught the eye last term in his breakthrough season - scoring twice against today's visitors at Fir Park - but McIntyre always knew it might take some time to get going again. The County manager said: "It's always harder in your second season because you're not a surprise package to anybody. People know what you're about and Tony has got to mix his game up a wee bit more, which he is working hard on. It's important he continues to have the end product because that's what wide players and forward players are judged on."
Motherwell will be without Keith Lasley (calf), Steven Hammell (groin) and Stephen McManus, who is suspended, but winger Lionel Ainsworth says he is enjoying Mark McGhee's new approach. Motherwell are still looking to utilise the pace of Ainsworth and fellow winger Marvin Johnson but McGhee felt the team rushed passes when he first came in as manager last month. And Ainsworth believes they will benefit from his orders to take more time and care in possession ahead of the trip to Ross County.
Ainsworth said: "In the past, many of the players pointed it out themselves, it was about getting the ball up the pitch as quickly as possible and score a goal. But he wants us to be composed on the ball and take our touches. In training sometimes you do pop it off one touch and then say to yourself 'I shouldn't have done that'. It's not what he wants. He does say at times round the box if it's intricate take one touch but (mostly) get on the ball, stay composed and draw someone in and go from there. If we can keep the ball a bit longer then we can get up the pitch and attack. We have to stay on the ball and be positive and the main thing is to trust each other. The lads have started doing that a lot more in recent weeks and it's enjoyable. You want the ball and you want to have touches."