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The team heads to Greenock this weekend as the league moves towards its final quarter with every game now certain to be crucial. The battle at the bottom tightened up even further in midweek as Hamilton extended their recent unbeaten run, and more than ever it looks likely to be a nervy conclusion to the campaign.

That is not something manager Paul Hartley is getting too hung up on, and it comes as no surprise to him that the division is so tight:

“That’s the Championship for you, it’s like that pretty much every year. There’s no point worrying about what anyone else is doing, we just have to concentrate on what we can affect, and make sure we get the results we need.”

“I’ve never been one to look forward to the next three or four matches, all I’m concentrating on is Morton, and working out a plan that we feel can help us get the points.

“It hasn’t been easy settling the squad down, there’s been so much movement, and when you bring eight new players in, it is going to take them some time to adjust. But I think there have been good signs in the last few games that we’re getting there, and we believe we can have a strong finish to the season.”

Jason Naismith is one of the recent additions to the squad who has been attempting to settle in while at the same time help the club amass valuable points in the battle at the bottom. That has not been easy, but he also feels the team is coming together:

“Everyone has been really welcoming! It’s probably helped that there have been so many new faces all arrived around the same time, but everybody at the club has been great, really friendly, and I feel at home here.

“The most important thing is what happens on the pitch, and I think there have been signs that we are starting to build that understanding, which is going to be really important over the next eleven matches.”

“I’ve been involved in a number of relegation battles during my career, and I’ve experienced the highs and lows. I know what it feels like to go down, and I don’t want to suffer that again.

“You have to be aware of the teams below you, but you can’t get too hung up on that or you can get spooked. You always have to keep targeting the sides above you and try to draw them back in.”

That is the kind of focus the side is going to need over the next few months, but Jason knows every point is going to have to be battled for if survival is to be achieved:

“The Championship is such a tough league, but there’s no stand-out team that you look at and in any way fear; everyone is capable of beating anyone else. Morton have done really well, but that doesn’t surprise me. I know Dougie Imrie, I know the kind of character he is, and he’s done a brilliant job there.

“It’s up to us to go out on Saturday and show the organisation and desire that we displayed against Partick Thistle, for the first half at Dens, and for most of the draw with Arbroath. If we can do that, and find a bit more up front, we can certainly cause them problems and keep our noses in front of the teams below us.”

Paul Hartley still hopes to bring one more player in before the extended window closes on Tuesday, but he admits that might be touch and go:

“It is always a difficult market at this time of the year, and being part-time has counted against us with some of the players I’ve tried to bring in. I do feel we need something else up front, a bit more support there, and I will keep working hard to try to get someone in that might just make the difference.”

The manager got more bad news this week when it was confirmed that Brody Paterson faces an operation on his injured ankle, and like Fraser Fyvie, will miss the remainder of the season. Blair Yule is the only other absentee as he recovers from a heel problem.

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