Ross County midfielder Chris Hamilton says his surprise scoring run has made his early setbacks in Dingwall feel worthwhile.

The 25-year-old moved to the Highlands in the summer after leaving boyhood club Dunfermline Athletic, but picked up an injury just as pre-season friendlies were about to begin.

After weeks of hard work on the training ground, that set Hamilton back compared to his teammates, meaning that even after returning to fitness he had to be patient for his chance in the first team.

However, he grasped that opportunity with both hands when it did come. He has scored seven goals in his last six appearances – as many as he had in his 238 career appearances before signing for the Staggies – with his latest strike being the late winning goal against Forfar on Tuesday night.

His prolific streak has taken Hamilton himself by surprise, but it certainly means his early-season frustrations feel a long way in the past now.

“Up until now, goals weren’t really a big part of my game, but if it’s something I can add then why not?” he said.

“It’s a good feeling, and I’m enjoying it because it’s not something I’ve been used to.

“It helped the team against Forfar, and if I can pop up with a few more throughout the season to help the team win games, that’s all that matters.

“The way the manager wants us to play, he encourages us to have freedom and make runs. I always used to be sitting in front of the back four with more of a defensive mind, but now I’m getting that freedom.

"I waited a long time after doing a lot of hard work in pre-season, and it was frustrating. I wondered when my chance would come, and even when I was back fit I had to wait because the boys were doing so well.

"I've worked my way back in, and it has been worth the wait. I've enjoyed being back on the pitch and playing football again, and winning games with the boys.

"We need to keep pushing and making sure that we keep winning games."

Hamilton will be hoping he can continue his scoring run when County make the long journey down to Queen of the South this weekend.

The midfielder kicked off the streak with a double against Queens in an 8-0 win in Dingwall last month, but he does not expect it to be anywhere near as straightforward this time around.

"It won't be as easy as last time, especially down there,” Hamilton added.

"They have picked up a few wins since then, so maybe it was actually a turning point for them.

"No game in this league is easy, especially away from home. We know the challenges that come with that, and they will be right up for it after what happened last time.

"It will be another tough game, but we will rest up and make sure we're ready for it."