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With the team having stalled at just the wrong moment, and the chasing pack closing the gap in the battle for the play-offs, we face a massive ninety minutes at Dumbarton on Saturday as we look to clinch a place in the end of season shoot-out.

Despite last week’s loss, we are still in second spot, and with Stenhousemuir playing Arbroath, there might be the opportunity to open up a gap over them. But, only if we take maximum points from the trip to the banks of the Clyde.

That is something we have not done in the past month, and Paul Hartley admits things are going to have to improve if we are to achieve our target for the campaign:

“We have gone off the boil, certainly underperformed in the recent games, and one of the big things for us this season was we always scored; that’s dried up at the wrong time too. We need to start being more clinical in front of goal again.”

“The players know we have to get back on track, they understood that when we spoke after the Inverness match, and we all, including the staff and management, have to stand up and be counted.

“On the pitch, we need the experienced guys to step up, to help the younger ones, and we all need to pull together.”

The four games remaining are against sides who all have their own agendas, and the manager says we are going to have to match them if we are to pick up the points we need:

“You start with Dumbarton, they’ve been relegated, but the guys are playing for a contract for next season, either there, or at another club. Then it’s Alloa, fighting to get into the play-offs, and after that Kelty, who are looking over their shoulders. And we finish off down at Annan, who might still be in with a chance of survival at that point.”

“Every one of them potentially with something to play for, so we need to roll our sleeves up and be ready to battle, because that’s what it’s going to be all about during the run-in.”

Having played a lot of good football throughout the campaign, we have now gone four without a win and three without scoring, only the second time that has happened since we joined the SPFL.

Paul admits it is a slump he was not anticipating:

“I didn’t see it coming, so it has been a surprise, and I’ve thrown the gauntlet down to the players; they’ve got to be ready for the challenge. It happened last year when we lost four in a row and missed the play-offs, and none of us want a repeat of that.

“We are still in a strong position, but we need to get playing again, everyone has to be ready for what will be a massive month.”

Over the piece, the team has performed; we have already matched last season’s points total and are not far off the goals scored with those four matches to go, but Paul knows we are going to have to rediscover our form if there is to be a successful conclusion to the campaign:

“It’s fine margins, down to four teams chasing three places, and you just have to go out and do the business, look after yourselves, and get the wins we need.

“It’s not all doom and gloom. The dip came at the wrong time, but I would still rather be in our position than chasing from outside the top four. We all know what’s needed, wins are everything right now, and that’s what we are fully focused on doing.”

Mitch Megginson will again be missing from the squad as he completes his two-match suspension.

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