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Ross County have been thwarted in their efforts to fix up their outstanding home Second Division game against injury-hit Hamilton Accies for Saturday.
Both sides are out of the Scottish Cup and will be idle this weekend, but Accies literally won't play ball.
County boss Neale Cooper was looking for an early chance to bounce back after going out to Forfar.
He said: "We had hoped that we could catch up a little on our fixtures, with Hamilton coming up to Dingwall on Saturday and saving themselves a midweek trip later in the season. But they decided that they didn't want to play and they are quite within their rights. We'll now put in another double training session like the one we did today and, although it's a wee bit like a pre-season, the players know they have to put in the work now that weather conditions are more favourable."
Cooper confirmed that he is still looking to strengthen his squad, especially in the forward positions.
He said: "We're still looking around for a striker as Derek Holmes needs games under his belt and will be working on one or two aspects of his own personal game over the next few days.
"On the other hand, we've looked very secure at the back with Nicky Walker and Ian Maxwell doing well for us in recent games.
"Obviously, we'd rather still be in the Scottish Cup but at least now we can concentrate on the league – although if you don't score goals you can't hope to win games."
County are putting Deveronvale full back Mark Chisholm through his paces, but he will return to Banff for Saturday's Highland League game with Buckie Thistle.
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Ross County last night swooped to sign Clydebank's out of contract left-sided midfielder Peter Cormack to help boost the Dingwall side's chances of achieving promotion to the First Division.
County boss Neale Cooper has been keeping tabs on the son of the former Scotland, Hibs and Nottingham Forest forward Peter Cormack, sen, and watched him in last weekend's game against Falkirk.
Cooper said: "We heard good reports about Peter but thought he was tied up at Clydebank. But when he became a free agent we moved swiftly to obtain his signature on a short-term contract until the end of the season.
"I would like to think that he will have a great platform here in Dingwall to show off his excellent skills and, hopefully, he will be with us again next season."
Cormack travelled up to Dingwall on Tuesday and was greatly impressed by County's professionalism.
He said: "I'm absolutely delighted to be given the chance to return to full-time football. I've come from a club struggling to avoid relegation to one which is very capable of gaining promotion to the First Division.
"I think the set-up here in Dingwall is tremendous and I enjoyed the bounce game against Brora Rangers on Tuesday night."
Cormack, jun, started his senior career with Meadowbank before joining Newcastle United for £65,000. He then returned to Scotland to Morton and went on to play in Austria and with Carlisle United before joining Clydebank on a short-term contract.
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Ross County assistant manager Gordon Chisholm last night decided to turn down a lucrative offer to be Ian McCall's No. 2 at Morton.
McCall quit his post at cash-strapped Clydebank to take charge of the First Division Greenock club yesterday.
It is understood that Chisholm came to his decision after a meeting with McCall and Morton chairman Hugh Scott, who offered him a two-and-a-half year contract and a higher salary.
Chisholm said: "I had a serious offer from Morton, but after thinking it through I've had a great time here in Dingwall at a very ambitious club with high hopes of promotion and I've decided to stay loyal to Ross County and remain at Victoria Park.
"Ross County have a tremendously loyal support and everyone has made me very welcome since I came to Dingwall, so I've decided to repay their loyalty by staying on."
A relieved Neale Cooper said: "There was a distinct possibility that Gordon would join Ian at Cappielow, but after much soul searching he has decided to stay here in Dingwall to continue our successful partnership.
"Gordon's family are back down south and as they only see him at weekends, it was a huge decision for him to make, but I'm really chuffed he's decided to stay and finish the job we've started here at Victoria Park.
"I thought earlier this morning that Gordon might be going to Morton, but it's great that he has decided to stay as we have a great working relationship and, of course, he takes a wee bit of the pressure off myself. We tried not to influence his decision and everyone here is thrilled with the decision he has reached."
Ross County chief executive Alastair Kennedy said: "Gordon is an ambitious young man and would like to become a manager in his own right in time. He has a great working relationship with all the players and the rest of the staff here in Dingwall and we're all delighted he has taken the decision to pledge his immediate future to Ross County."
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Ross County striker Gary Wood yesterday completed his move to Third Division promotion-chasers Berwick Rangers.
The 23-year-old signed a two-and-a-half year contract after a nominal fee was agreed between the clubs.
County manager Neale Cooper hopes to fill the void left by the former Cowdenbeath forward's departure this week.
He said: "Gary had been in and out of the side without really holding down a place. He is out of contract in the summer and we decided to accept Berwick's offer and give him the chance to play first-team football regularly.
"I have been looking to strengthen the team in the forward areas for a while now because we haven't been scoring enough goals.
"We are in a good league position at the moment without really having played that well, but we know we could have been further up the league."
"We are looking for our strikers to take more responsibility and if they don't then I will bring in somebody who is prepared to."
Cooper admitted there are a number of his players who are currently playing for their Victoria Park futures.
He said: "I don't need to come out in the papers and name the players who need to show a vast improvement. They know themselves and if they don't come up to the level we expect they won't have a future at the club."
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Ross County manager Neale Cooper faces competition from Alloa Athletic for the signature of Livingston midfielder Ian Little.
County had tried to sign the 26-year-old attacking midfielder last week but the player has asked for more time to consider the move.
Little, who is out of contract in the summer, is anxious to keep his options open although he is adamant that he wants to remain in full-time football.
That would tend to rule out Alloa but their manager is Little's former Stenhousemuir boss Terry Christie, and he has already persuaded the player to join on a loan spell.
County are willing to offer the player a full-time contract but it is believed that the player is unwilling to move as far north as Dingwall.
Cooper said: "I spoke to the player last week and the final decision is down to him.
"I want to bring him to County because he is a quality player who can play up front, just behind the strikers or as a wide player.
"The player hasn't made a decision but we'll just have to wait and see what he decides."
Despite Saturday's defeat by Partick Thistle, Cooper was pleased with the performance of striker Derek Holmes.
He said: "I thought Derek had his best game since he came to the club and it is now up to him to build on it.
"He has been criticised for not doing enough in previous matches but I thought he responded well on Saturday."
Meanwhile, Franck Escalon is expected to play in a friendly match tonight as he bids for a first team return after several weeks out with a virus.
County are still waiting to see how defender Mark Duthie's groin problem is after he was substituted on Saturday.
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Ross County manager Neale Cooper says he is not jealous of the good fortune rivals Inverness Caley Thistle are enjoying in the Scottish Cup – as he has his own problems to sort out.
The talk in Inverness in the past weeks has been of Caley's trip to Parkhead today in the third round of the cup, but for Cooper's team there is nothing so glamorous on the horizon.
A early exit at the hands of Division 3 Forfar has allowed the Dingwall club to concentrate its efforts on winning promotion to Division 1.
County have faltered of late and Cooper wants to see the winning mentality return against Hamilton in Dingwall today.
He said: "We have to do a lot better than we have been doing. We have had lots of meetings this week and hopefully we will get a positive outcome from these.
"A lot of talk has been of Caley's visit to Celtic and good luck to them, but to be honest what they do is of little concern to me, as it is what we do that really counts. We need to start playing passing football again if we are to get results."
County will have a mystery left-sided midfielder on trial today. The experienced former Premier Division campaigner, who has had a recent spell abroad, has been playing in the Second Division of late and a good showing could win him a permanent move.
Franck Escalon returns to the County squad after a long spell out through injury, but Dave Mackay misses out with a knee injury and the game comes too soon for John McGlashan, who is on his way back to fitness.
Wing back Mark Duthie suffered a groin strain in training and may also miss out.
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Ross County winger Roy McBain has been told that he nolonger has a future at the club after manager Neale Cooper finally lost all patience with the player's erratic form.
Michael Geraghty, another attacking player, signed last year from Hamilton Academicals, is also transfer-listed as moves are made to trim County's excessively large first-team squad.
McBain's listing is the biggest surprise. It is the second time he has been put up for sale since his arrival at the club on a free transfer from Dundee in October 1996.
Since then, McBain has played a big part in County's rise out of Division Three and he scored a memorable goal in County's match against Hearts in the League Cup last season.
Last season, he reacted to his transfer-listing with some sparkling form, but this time it appears that County are intent on selling him at the earliest opportunity.
That might not be such a difficult process as McBain was attracting the attention of bigger clubs last season.
An undeniably gifted player when playing at the top of his form, his form this season has suffered through a lack of consistency and as a result of being asked to play in deeper roles in the side.
He is also understood to have frustrated the County coaching staff with his lack of directness in attack and with the general absence of consistency in his performances.
Michael geraghty, a forward with experience in the First Division, has simply failed to make an impact since joining up with County.
Meanwhile, County's interest in Livingston's Ian Little appears to be dead after the player expressed a reluctance to move to the Highlands.
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