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Ross County boss Neale Cooper has warned his shot-shy frontline to find the net or face being dropped.
The Dingwall manager watched his men drop to second bottom spot in the First Division table after a comprehensive 3-0 defeat by the Bully Wee on Saturday.
The Broadwood blank means that County have found the net just once in five league games this season. And Cooper – who hauled off striker Steve Hislop at the break on Saturday – admits his side must generate a greater goal threat.
He said: "It's just not good enough up front. We didn't threaten their goal.
"Steve Hislop has got to do a lot better. Alex Bone had three good chances in the match. He had a chance at 1-0 and missed, then they broke and got the second goal which killed us.
"We've tried so many different things. Derek Holmes is out injured just now and I'm wondering if it's worth bringing him back as soon as he's ready.
"At the moment nobody seems to be doing the business but I can't bring anyone in unless somebody leaves the club, so we've just got to keep at it."
The County boss praised opponents Clyde, who moved up to third spot in the table, adding: "They closed us down well, created a lot of chances and have a lot of good players in their team. They played really well today and deserved the win."
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Ross County manager Neale Cooper is looking for a CIS League Cup pay-off from his players tonight after clear-the-air talks at Victoria Park on Sunday.
Yesterday Cooper admitted putting his squad through extra training on Sunday after the dismal 3-0 First Division defeat at Clyde.
Cooper is looking for a confidence-boosting home cup win against Brechin City tonight after the Angus men dumped County out of the Bell's Challenge Cup earlier this season.
County are also in need of a lift before Saturday's league derby against Caley Thistle.
Cooper said: "We've under-achieved this season for long enough and have become a bit of a soft touch but that's all got to change, hopefully starting with the game against Brechin tomorrow night. I had all the players in for training on Sunday morning and after we sat down together and discussed things.
"It's tremendously frustrating that everything goes brilliantly during the week on the training ground but on a Saturday it all evaporates. We do loads of excellent shooting practice work and it all seems to come together in training but on match day it all goes wrong."
He added: "I've told the lads that it's what they do during the game that matters as all the good work off the park means nothing when we fail to convert chances.
"Brechin have turned us over at home already in the Challenge Cup and they're on a bit of a roll, so our attitude must be right for us to progress."
Cooper has a full squad at his disposal apart from striker Derek Holmes, who is at Bournemouth for a week's trial period. Former Livingston winger Mark McCormick did well when coming off the bench on Saturday and may start, while former Aberdeen central defender Brian Irvine is in line for a recall to bolster a somewhat leaky County defence.
Brechin boss Dick Campbell is sweating it out over the availability of two of his most influential players, captain Harry Cairney and Kevin Fotheringham, both with ankle knocks. Fotheringham looks doubtful but Cairney still has a chance of making the game.
Campbell said: "My resources will be stretched for the first time this season and I don't know if Neale Cooper could survive another defeat by us. It will be a very different game and I expect them to be fired up."
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Ross County and Inverness officials will meet over the weekend to decide on dates for their CIS League Cup second-round ties after both Highland clubs were drawn at home.
County drew a plum tie against Premier League Hearts at Victoria Park, while Caley Jags were paired with Partick Thistle in Inverness in ties scheduled for Tuesday or Wednesday, September 25 or 26.
Ross County and Inverness have a "gentleman's agreement" if both sides are drawn at home in a midweek cup tie. In order to maximise the crowds at both venues they will play on different nights.
With County likely to make their tie against Hearts all-ticket to cope with demand from fans, the two clubs are expected to discuss and settle the issue before the start of next week.
County skipper Steve Ferguson, a Tynecastle ball-boy as a youngster, is already relishing the chance to tackle his boyhood heroes again.
He said: "It's a brilliant draw. I was in the County side which took Hearts to extra time at Tynecastle in this competition a few seasons ago.
"We were in the Third Division then but we'd already beaten Dundee United at Victoria Park.
"I can't wait to play them again in front of our own fans in Dingwall.
"I've been a Hearts supporter all my life but I'll be doing my best to dump them out of the cup this time."
Ross County manager Neale Cooper said: "It's great to get a home draw, although from a financial point of view a trip to Tynecastle might have been preferable.
"Hearts have been playing some good football lately and they will really test us on the night."
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Ross County manager Neale Cooper has warned his players to prepare for a St Mirren backlash at Paisley tonight as the Saints attempt to get their season back on track.
Tom Hendrie's men were installed as favourites for the First Division following last season's late relegation from the Premier League.
However, only one win in their first six games leaves them on six points – on equal standing with County – and determined to climb the table.
Partick Thistle and Airdrie lead the way but the main threat is likely to come from Ayr United.
County are buoyed by Saturday's 2-1 success against Caley Thistle and Cooper is urging his players to prepare for, arguably, the hardest trip of their league season.
Cooper said: "I have been delighted with the last two games and the attitude shown by the players. We know that a match with St Mirren will be a hard task as they are the club which came down from the Premier League last season.
"I would say that I am a bit surprised because I would have thought they would have been closer to the top of the table.
"St Mirren suffered a defeat to Ayr on Saturday and they will be keen to make amends and we will have to be wary of that."
Two wins in succession is in contrast to their start to the season and Cooper believes that clear-the-air talks have proved to be the catalyst for their turnaround in fortunes.
"We had a meeting with the players after the Clyde match and this seems to have helped everyone," added Cooper.
"We have also slightly changed the system and everyone is pulling their weight and battling for us as we were not performing as well as I knew we could.
"A few of the players who are on the sidelines are getting fitter and that will give us a lift. I hope Marc Millar can come through a reserve game as his return would be a boost."
Cooper has one doubt for the trip, with former Morton player Karim Boukraa struggling with a knock.
St Mirren boss Hendrie will decide by the end of the week whether to sign former Arsenal striker Christopher Wreh. Wreh has joined the Love Street side on trial and Buddies boss Hendrie will have a closer look at the forward before deciding whether to offer him a contract at the First Division club. The 26-year-old signed for the Gunners for a fee of £300,000 from Monaco in 1997 but failed to make a huge impact at Highbury.
Hendrie said: "He comes here with a good CV."
Hendrie has also brought South African striker Chris Napier to Love Street on a trial period. Saints have received international clearance from the South African FA for the 19-year-old but will not be fielding him until Monday in a reserve match.
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Ross County face their biggest test of the season tonight when they take on Hearts in a CIS League Cup second round tie at Victoria Park (7.30).
It is a repeat of their 1998 League Cup Tynecastle tussle when County, then in the Third Division, lost out in a penalty shoot-out. The Dingwall side grabbed an early lead with a stunning Roy McBain strike and it took a late Hearts equaliser to send the tie into extra time.
County have been lifted by Saturday's victory against First Division high-fliers Partick Thistle. Steven Hislop claimed a double in County's 3-2 win and manager Neale Cooper is looking for more of the same fighting spirit and for Hislop to carry on where he left off against Partick.
Cooper said: "Steven is very much like former Ross County striker Neil Tarrant, who is now on loan at Motherwell from Aston Villa. We worked hard with Neil and we're doing the same with Steven as he's often here doing extra work in the afternoons.
"The two goals Steven notched on Saturday will have done wonders for his confidence and it was nice for him to get off the mark with such a spectacular strike."
He added: "It's a good time for us to tackle Hearts after our good performances in the last 10 days but they will want to bounce back after their 2-0 defeat at Motherwell on Saturday.
"We must be on our guard and we did talk this morning about the two terrible goals we lost early on against Partick Thistle. We also went a goal behind after only two minutes at Love Street last midweek."
Cooper revealed that trialist Argentinian goalkeeper Ramiro Gonzalez had signed until the end of the season.
Gonzalez will be on the County bench for tonight's clash.
He said: "Ramiro is a very good keeper with loads of all-round ability and his signing puts pressure on first-choice goalkeeper Tony Bullock. A wee bit of competition is always a good thing.
"His handling and distribution are excellent and I would certainly have no hesitation in pitching Ramiro into the side at any time. He may not be the biggest but he definitely has a presence in the box."
County will wait to see if influential Frenchman Karim Boukraa has recovered from a cold, while skipper Steve Ferguson is hopeful of shaking off a calf strain.
Hearts boss Craig Levein knows the task facing his players at Dingwall is a difficult one, especially after Saturday's dismal 2-0 defeat at Motherwell, but the former Scotland central defender is confident the Maroons can match County's battling qualities.
Levein said: "When you're drawn away from home against a team only one division below your own, you know you're in for a hard game.
"We've had County watched twice and I've watched them myself. We know we will have to be at our best, especially as they took us to extra time and penalties at Tynecastle a couple of years ago and made Rangers fight all the way in the Scottish Cup last season.
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