After a positive start to the campaign, last season's Championship winners have found the going tough in recent weeks.

The Staggies, who host St Mirren on Saturday, have conceded seven goals in back-to-back defeats against Aberdeen and Livingston.

"It's a couple of low points for us, a couple of blows," said Kettlewell.

"I am not going to tell you that it is okay, and that it is acceptable, but what we don't have to do is blow it out of proportion.

"Everybody then wants to speak up and start telling us what is wrong, and what we need to change and all the rest of it. You can be rest assured myself and Steven [Ferguson] are going to try and rectify that when we play against St Mirren, and all the players are the same, the players want to make it better.

"We genuinely believe we have got a good squad of players that will compete in this league if we can get everybody fit and on the pitch."

County sit eighth in the top flight, one point above St Mirren after four matches.

Kettlewell is full of praise for the job Buddies boss Jim Goodwin has done following his summer appointment.

"They have made a number of signings, so there has obviously been a good amount of backing there for Jim and they certainly look as if they are a very difficult team to play against," he said.

"I think every game they have had, whether it is win lose or draw, has been exceptionally close. We know that they are going to be a stern test. We faced off against Jim last season and saw the great work he did at Alloa.

"But we have full confidence in ourselves and what we do here and it is a game to look forward to."