THE 2-0 victory at Dundee United last weekend was a massive and a much-needed win after the run that we have been on.

It is probably the worst one we have had since we have been here and some of the performances have been well below the standards that we have set.

The players deserve a lot of credit. They showed a lot of character to bounce back from the Ross County defeat and put in a great performance against a top team.

The pitch at Tannadice was really poor but we handled it well and our game management was really pleasing. Everything we asked the boys to do, they done it.

We played in the right areas and played the ball into areas that allowed us to capitalise and got us further up the pitch as well. It wasn't long balls, it was passes into the right areas.

Myself and Alan went to watch United against Inverness the other week and they struggled with balls over the top and down the sides so our plans worked, which was good.

We were back to doing the ugly side of the game as well. The boys rolled up their sleeves and defensively, the whole team, we were very good.

At this stage of the season, conditions come into it a lot. We all want to play nice football and have 10, 15 passes a goal but that isn't always realistic or possible.

With the run we were on, and the fact we weren't picking up points, it was putting pressure on us and teams were getting closer below us.

It was a case of getting back to basics and playing to our strengths. We have got players that can hurt teams.

It was about doing the basics right, doing the easy, simple things and doing them right.

If you need to clear it, clear it. Don't put your team under pressure with a pass that a team-mate can't do anything with.

Having got that win, and played well, we need to make the most of it and look to build on it when we play Ross County this afternoon.

Going into the game, I don't think we will need to say much to the players. They all know they let themselves down and let the fans down at Firhill a couple of weeks ago.

They will be up for this game and they know what is needed to get the three points.

It will be another battle but it is a game that we feel if we can play to our potential then we have a good chance of getting the win.

Ross County are on a run, they have got three wins on the spin and they are playing with a lot of confidence at the moment.

With it being a home game for them, they will be looking to put us under a bit of pressure.

But we know how they will play, we know what is coming. They will stick to their formation and, barring any injuries, I don't think the personnel will change either.

We have worked well all week and we are well prepared for what is a really important game for us.