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Ross County travel to Boghead smarting from three successive Third Division defeats.
Dumbarton have lost only one game and conceded a meagre four goals in the league this season but County boss Neale Cooper is confident his side will reverse recent disappointments.
He said: "We played a lot better than of late last week and we're really looking forward to the Boghead game. We know that we'll have to take the game to them, although we'll have to make sure that we're watertight at the back ourselves."
New striker Gary Higgins looks set to start for County, who will look for former Dunfermline player Iwo Den Biemen to use his Premier League experience to prise open the well-organised Sons defence.
Billy Ferries may also find a place in Cooper's starting line-up. The loss of influential French midfielder Franck Escalon with hamstring and shoulder injuries will pose a problem for Cooper, although Stuart Golabek makes a welcome return to the squad.
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Ross County have received a grant from the Lottery Sports Fund of £65,000 to up-grade the terracing on the west end of the ground.
The new terracing, which will flank the old stand, will increase the ground's capacity from 4,925 to 6,614. The Football Trust is contributing £20,000 towards the project.
Tickets for Robbie Williamson's testamonial are now on sale priced: Stand - £10 (adults) and £5 (children and OAPs); and, Ground - £8 (adults) and £4 (children and OAPs).
They are available from: Dingwall - MacKintosh Brothers, 40 High Street; Ross County Social Club and the Ross County Club Shop; Inverness - The Clach Club and Balloch Stores; Muir of Ord - Tarradale Hotel; Alness - Tony's; Invergordon - Fraser Sport; and, Tain - Ferries Kitchens.
Ross County's youngsters defeated Forres by six goals to two in the preliminary round of the BP Scottish Youth Cup.
They secured their place in the first round proper, when they will play Peterhead in Dingwall, by playing some attractive football.
The County scorers were: Steven MacKay, Ryan Rutherford, Steven MacLean, Graham Munro, Scott Wilde and Brian MacLeod.
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ROSS County boss Neale Cooper has told his players to show more commitment after a slump of four defeats in their last five games.
After their blistering start to the season, County have been unsettled by numerous injuries, with the latest, a hairline fracture of the toe for teenage striker Connor Campbell, who will be out for three weeks.
As the Dingwall side prepares to meet managerless Montrose at Links Park in the Third Division today, which could be in doubt if heavy rain continues to fall, Cooper has asked for some fighting quality from his players.
He said: "We need to get back to winning ways and have to be more positive. We had such a settled side earlier in the season and now other players are getting their opportunity, so they should start taking their chance.
"We have been forced to change the side. Players such as Dave MacKay and Davie Ross played the earlier games and are now out injured.
"We realise we are not playing well and should work together. However, we are only four points behind the leaders and still in the chase. We have players with ability who can work hard and do well."
Bottom side Montrose have already suffered two defeats to County this season.
Campbell is the only player out from last week's side which lost 2-1 to Albion Rovers, with Stuart Golabek and Dave Mathieson added to the squad.
Cooper said: "We have done well in the past against Montrose and if we work hard then, hopefully, we can get the rewards."
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Ross County manager Neale Cooper has revealed that he was disappointed when Ivo den Bieman walked out after playing only two games for the club.
County moved to sign Den Bieman on a one-month contract after the 31-year-old had his request for a free transfer from Dunfermline Athletic granted.
But Den Bieman, suffering from a viral infection, played only two of County's five games in that month spell -- and then walked out to join Falkirk.
Cooper said: "I was disappointed with Ivo going. I thought he could have maybe stayed for a couple of months. He was upset that he couldn't play and it was no fault of Ivo's that he was ill but he could have come back and performed for us.
"Ivo wasn't playing at Dunfermline and we paid what is a lot of money for a Third Division club to give him a chance.
"With him being a personal friend and the club putting up the money, I thought he could have stayed here for another couple of months instead of leaving straight away."
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There is life after Derek Adams at Ross County.
Prior to Adams's transfer to Motherwell, County scored 16 goals in five league games. The next five league games produced only five goals and, suddenly, the striker's departure looked to have delivered a potentially fatal blow to County's promotion hopes.
However, striker Garry Wood scored four of County's six against Montrose last week to herald the rebirth of the free-scoring spirit in Dingwall.
Neale Cooper's side will attempt to continue the resurgence tomorrow against Cowdenbeath at Central Park.
Management styles vary and Cooper seems to favour the softly, softly man management approach currently in vogue. It was a heart-to-heart with his players that produced results last week, not a rave and rant.
"Sometimes you go a bit wild at players but that is not always the answer," he said.
Cooper will rely on the same players, minus the suspended David Matheson who was red-carded at Links Park, to overcome Cowdenbeath.
Adams and Steven Ferguson scored in County's 2-0 win over Cowdenbeath in August and Cooper said: "Of the teams that we have played here, Cowdenbeath were the most willing to attack -- and that's my philosophy as well."
Cooper wants County to play a brand of football he himself is happy to watch and, unlike some of the opponents his side has encountered this season, Cowdenbeath are unlikely to act as spoilers.
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The prospect of a new year trip to Dumfries to take on Queen of the South did not exactly fill the Ross County camp with joy when the draw for this season's Tennent's Scottish Cup was made yesterday.
Ross County assistant manager Jim Kelly could think of better ways of spending the new year holiday.
He said: "It's a long haul for that time of year and we could have done without it. However, you've got to go into the game and give it your best shot and we'll certainly be up and ready for it."
Queen of the South lie seventh in the Second Division, having lost seven of their 12 starts. Looking at County's recent cup form, Neale Cooper's men should go to Palmerston confident of making it into the next round.
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Ross County are flying high at the top of the Third Division, but manager Neale Cooper believes that his side can still improve.
The Dingwall boss was delighted by his side's return to form at Cowdenbeath and the club received a further boost when he revealed that Roy McBain has joined Gary Wood in coming off the transfer list.
After a difficult early-season spell, victories such as Wednesday's 2-1 win at Central Park have seen County return to joint top of the league with Brechin City.
Cooper said: "We were very happy with the Cowdenbeath game. In the first half the boys started the same way they did against Montrose and we played some of the best football we have played in a long time, especially considering the difficult conditions.
"But I still think we can play better than that. Having two wingers like Billy Ferries and Roy McBain going at people will make it hard for any team.
"It is also good news that McBain has come off the transfer list. Roy and Gary Wood have played well and have worked hard in recent weeks."
Cooper admits early-season injuries had forced a change in style for his team, but the alteration to the formation may have helped.
Cooper added: "Looking back, I have spoken to a lot of managers about how success in the cup can effect your league performances. But during that spell we didn't have Davie Ross, Dave MacKay and Willie Furphy was also out for a while and, of course, Derek Adams had left.
"It takes time to put players in these positions and to get the team back together. But we have a new system which gives players like Billy Ferries more licence to attack. And you can see the fighting spirit is back in the players."
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