Manager Tommy Wright has declared it will be “game on” in the race for third spot if St Johnstone can beat Inverness Caley Thistle.
The clubs meet at McDiarmid Park in a top-six Premiership clash on Saturday and victory would put the fourth-placed Perth men just a point behind the Highlanders.
ICT would still have a game in hand – against Dundee United the following Tuesday – but the pressure would be right on a team whose last league win came way back on February 14 against relegation strugglers St Mirren.
Also, no one knows better than last season’s winners Saints how much impact being in the Scottish Cup final Inverness face Falkirk on May 30 – can have on a side during the final weeks of the campaign.
Wright said: “We play Inverness this weekend and if we win then it could be game on for third spot.
“But we are just taking things as they come and seeing what happens.
“Inverness have had a tremendous season but they might have one eye on the cup from now on.
“There is plenty still to play for and we are not getting carried away because things can change very quickly in this league.
“A few weeks ago top six was probably the best we could have hoped to achieve but some of the clubs around us have slipped up a bit.
“We have had a bad run this season ourselves so we know how fast things can change but if we win on Saturday then we will give ourselves a chance of third.”