Table-topping Ross County are unbeaten this season – but records are made to be broken, according to Diamonds midfielder Ewan Simpson.

Airdrie travel to Dingwall for their first visit of the campaign, having already faced the Staggies twice in competitive action.

The league leaders were triumphant on both occasions at the Albert Bartlett, winning 3-0 in July’s Premier Sports Cup tie before taking the points in the first league meeting with a 3-1 victory in August.

While the highlanders have gone from strength to strength since then, the Diamonds recovered from a shaky start to go on an eight-match unbeaten run of their own.

That ended last weekend with an unfortunate 2-1 derby defeat to Hamilton Academical, who are hot on County’s heels at the top of the table.

Midfielder Simpson felt Airdrie’s performance merited a better result.

“I thought we did really well, we probably should have got more from the game. I thought we played well at times, but that happens.

“We’ll just push on to next week and try to get three points.”

While the Diamonds ultimately had nothing to show for their efforts against Hamilton, it was a marked improvement on the dismal 4-0 defeat at New Douglas Park earlier in the season.

Simpson hopes that he and his team-mates can show a similar transformation from the previous meetings with Ross County.

“We’ll try to improve, we’ll work on stuff on the training pitch and do the best that we can.

“Hopefully we can get the three points – we’re looking to prove that we can make progress in the league.

“Obviously it’ll be a hard game, like any other game, but we’ll do our best and hopefully we can come away with it.”

While Airdrie aim to get back to winning ways to continue their progress up the table, Stuart Kettlewell’s side will be hoping to continue their recent eye-catching form which has seen them bag a barrowload of goals while maintaining an unbeaten league run stretching back to the end of last season.

Simpson says that ending that record would be the perfect bonus if Airdrie were to manage a massive result in the highlands.

“The boys are obviously wanting to win – everyone does. Hopefully this weekend we can get back on the winning streak again, and hopefully over the next couple of months, climb up the table.

“It’s a big incentive. Obviously they haven’t been beaten – for us that’s just even more motivation to go and take the three points off them and prove in front of the whole league that we can take points off the teams higher up in the league and push on.”

And after a couple of feisty encounters against local rivals in recent weeks, Ewan believes that the Diamonds’ team spirit is plain to see.

“We had a tough start with a completely new squad, but I feel like now we’re really getting more together as a group.

“You see that on the pitch with everyone backing each other and being a lot more aggressive in challenges.”

Head coach John Rankin is looking forward to his return to the ground where he kicked off his senior playing career.

“It’s a challenge, one that we’re looking forward to. I think when you look at the amount of goals they’ve scored this season, they’ve definitely got a lot of firepower at the top end of the pitch.

“It comes down to concentration levels from ourselves, making sure that we don’t give anything away and we’re aggressive in what we’re trying to do.

“They’re an experienced side, they’ve got two good players in every one position, so we know that it’s going to be a tough task, we know it’s going to be competitive – but it’s one that we’re working towards, and one that we feel as if we’re in a much better position to go and take on now.”

The Airdrie boss is still without Cole McKinnon, Zac Butterworth and Liam McLeish, with Ruairidh Adams added to the list of absentees after pulling up against Hamilton Academical.

Fellow goalkeeper Jamie Sneddon is a major doubt with a shoulder knock, as is former County defender Declan Gallagher, who succumbed to a hip injury last weekend.

Namesake Gavin, who also went off against Hamilton, is expected to be available, and defender Sam Fisher returns from suspension.

Referee Peter Stuart is in charge of his second tie involving Airdrie this season, having officiated August’s 0-0 home draw against East Fife.

Match tickets are available using the link below, and our DiamondsTV video (subscribers outwith the UK and Ireland) and audio (pay-per-match worldwide) streams are available. Travelling supporters are reminded that match tickets are available online only, and that the Global Energy Stadium operates on a cashless basis.