Ross County skipper Iain Vigurs is looking forward to the Scottish Cup derby with Inverness but insists Premiership survival is the number one priority.
The Staggies take on their Championship neighbours in the third-round tie televised live from Dingwall.
It is a break from league duty for John Hughes’ side who are 10th in the table, two points clear of bottom side Hamilton and one above Kilmarnock ahead of the five post-split fixtures.
In the pre-match zoom media conference, Vigurs recalled the disappointment of the recent 1-0 league defeat at St Johnstone as he assessed the cup tie.
The 32-year-old midfielder said: “It is the main cup in Scotland, it would be good to get a really good run for the end of the season but first and foremost, we have to concentrate on league survival.
“We would love a cup run but league survival is first and foremost, for the status of this club.
“If anything you want the relegation dog-fight, as you put it, to start as quickly as possible because you want to try to get going and rectify all the wrongs we have done in the past.
“First and foremost a good performance is needed (against Inverness) after the way we performed against St Johnstone.
“We need to get back to playing football because against St Johnstone we were so far off the pace it was hard to watch and everyone associated with the club would agree with that. It just wasn’t us.
“So we need to get back to the fundamentals and basics of football.
“Obviously we want to win the game as well but first and foremost we need a good performance going into the split.
“No one has ever questioned the work rate at this club but we just need to get back to the basics of football, as in being able to pass to a team-mate and trusting each other. We have lost that confidence and we need to get it back.”
Vigurs has had two spells at Inverness and is on his second spell at County but played down his part in the Highland derby story.
He said: “It is another game of football and all the players will be dying to win.
“It doesn’t matter who you are playing against, you want to win that game and beat the team in front of you.
“That is what being a footballer is about, that pride of not getting beat and it is heightened a little bit when it is in the derby.
“It is going to be a good occasion, everyone is looking forward to it.”
County will be without suspended defender Carl Tremarco, while defenders Callum Morris (hamstring), Tom Grivosti (hamstring) and Connor Randall (back) are out for the rest of the campaign.
