COLIN Nish believes Dundee are stronger for the agonies they experienced early in their troubled return to SPL life.
The Dens Park target man suffered as the team toiled miserably for three months with just a solitary victory to their name.
Demoralising hardly touched it as the Dark Blues suffered what might have been a terminally destructive 10 defeats in 11 games.
That there is even a pulse still beating in the Dark Blues’ dressing room is testament to the depths of character within and one Nish remains confident can hoist them up the table.
A restorative November run has breathed new life into Barry Smith’s team as the squad gels and improves. But, on Saturday, as they breezed in and out of Dingwall like a team without a care in the world, it begged a question.
If that disastrous August, September and October spell couldn’t break the Dens Park challenge and morale, what can?
County certainly met the Dens Park spirit head on and were unfortunate on several counts not to take the victory.
But Smith’s men are earning their luck these days.
Nish, a tireless and selfless battler on Saturday, exuded the air of a man still certain in his belief that Dundee can survive.
The former Kilmarnock and Hibs frontman said: “We go out every week trying to win and it doesn’t matter who we are playing against. We don’t think of any one game as better or bigger than another.
“There is a long time to go yet a lot of football to be played but we are playing well enough, so we’re quite happy.
“We’ve done alright recently and I can’t see us going on a losing run again. I think we are causing the teams above us one or two concerns.
“I think we have come through the mill this season and are a stronger bunch collectively. The boys are defending brilliantly and we just need to put the ball in the back of the net more often.
“Myself and the other strikers haven’t been doing that in the last few games but hopefully we can get back to that.”
It proved a tense affair at the restyled Global Energy Stadium.
The two clubs had history, though, with Dundee having made a habit of pulling off good results at the ground during their First Division days.
All that changed last April as a crushing 3-0 defeat for the Dens men signalled County’s SPL rise.
But there was enough mutual knowledge of the opposition to nullify creativity and cancel each other out in a poor first half.
When Dundee eventually made the breakthrough after 27 minutes it was dramatic and more than a little fortuitous.
A short spell of away pressure seemed to have passed off harmlessly as the ball dropped to Iain Davidson more than 25 yards out.
The 28-year-old went for glory and, given the quirks of the modern football, saw his powerful shot veer viciously to leave keeper Mark Brown stationary.
Not surprisingly given the six-point swing they were contemplating, County re-emerged after the break a much more resolute bunch.
Ross Tokely bulleted a header just over and Iain Vigurs, in particular, threatened with some penetrating runs.
Momentum built and built for the hosts and the equaliser arrived after 74 minutes.
Stuart Kettlewell’s strike was blocked but broke to substitute Gary Glen who reacted sharply to turn and finish from the edge of the six-yard box.
County pressed on although Nish fluffed one great chance in front of goal.
Right at the death, a superb move saw Colin Mcmenamin thread in Richard Brittain only for the County captain to smack his shot off the outside of the near post.
Nish stressed: “They could have won it in the last minute when they hit the post but I think we could have gone 2-0 up before then.
“It is not a bad result coming here but I think the boys will be disappointed.
“I thought we were quite good at the start of the second half but obviously they got the equaliser and they probably got a lift.
“Towards the end of the game they were on top, but away from home you would expect that.
“I don’t think anyone could complain with a draw but, if we got that goal to go 2-0 up, I think that would have been good enough for us to hold out.”
Dundee manager Barry Smith felt Dundee might have snatched the win.
He said: “We started the game extremely well and got our noses in front.
“We had a couple of chances to kill the game off at the start of the second half.
“In fairness to Ross County, they came back into it and put us under a lot of pressure.
“I’m not looking at the last 10 or 15 minutes of the game. Albeit they put us under a lot of pressure, I don’t think that’s the story of the game.”
A head knock with Colin McMenamin eventually forced centre half Kyle Benedictus off the field and, by then, County had levelled.
Smith felt the loss of Benedictus was significant as late cracks that appeared in his defence.
He said: “Defensively we hadn’t looked that troubled. Obviously, when Kyle goes off it knocks the balance of the game a bit.
“Lewis Toshney came in and did well but these things, at crucial points in the game, can change things.
“It didn’t help the team.”
But Smith added: “This is a difficult place to come and I’ve said to the boys a point here is a good point.
“It was a decent performance from us and a good all-round team effort.
“I’m not worried about what Ross County think we have to concentrate on what we do.”
County manager Derek Adams rated Saturday’s draw as County’s worst display since joining the SPL.
The Dingwall club’s manager made his scathing assessment despite feeling that luck favoured the visitors in the potential six-pointer.
Adams admitted: “Probably today was the worst we’ve played in the SPL.
“It was a high pressure game for both sides and both teams looked a wee bit nervous and didn’t do the things they do well.
“After 27 minutes, we lose a goal from a great strike by Iain Davidson and we had to get ourselves back in the game.
“In the second half I thought we created a lot of opportunities but probably didn’t work Rab Douglas enough.
“But he did have a few good saves and we probably should have won with the pressure we had, with Richie Brittain obviously hitting the post in the last minute.
“It was a bit of bad luck with the swerve for their goal and that’s what is happening for us just now.
“We are losing goals when there is not much in the game. Somebody is scoring a goal out of the blue like Billy McKay did here in the Scottish Cup game a great strike.”
Adams, though, was pleased to preserve the six-point gap between the teams.
He said: “We’ve also gone a point ahead of St Mirren and we’ve had a very good start to in the first half of the season.
“In this next half, we have to win more games and turn draws into wins.”