Raith Rovers skipper Jason Thomson maintains his team can get right back into the promotion mix by seeing off Queen of the South this afternoon.
A run of four defeats in the run-up to Christmas appeared to have scuppered any chance Rovers had of securing a top four spot, but back-to-back away wins at Falkirk and Cowdenbeath have reignited hopes the Kirkcaldy club can still mount a serious challenge in the second half of the campaign.
With that in mind, victory over their fourth-placed visitors from Dumfries would take Rovers to within just five points of the Doonhamers, and that’s all the incentive Thomson and his team-mates need going into the clash at Stark’s Park.
“That’s two wins on the spin now and I couldn’t tell you the last time we did that probably last season,” he explained.
“So there’s a wee bit more confidence about us, and they were two good 1-0 wins which is good.
“I think clean sheets have been hard to come by this season and we’ve been on the end of a few hefty defeats, so it’s great to get two clean sheets and we’ll be looking for another one this weekend.
“We’re looking up the table, although personally I’ve always been looking up.
“There’s a bit of a gap opened up on the teams below us, and it’s eight points up to fourth place so it will be quite a big game for us playing Queens.
“We’ve still to play most teams another twice now so we know it’s going to be a big second half of the season.
“It will take a big push from us between now and the end of the season to get into the play-offs, but Queens have maybe hit a wee sticky patch which everyone is going to go through at some point.
“Hopefully we’re through ours now.”
Rovers’ recent upturn in form has coincided with the arrival of Maurice Malpas as director of football at Stark’s Park, although Thomson insists not a lot has changed in the way the players have gone about things.
“I think we’ve always been trying to do the right things and with a wee bit of luck stuff will start to go our way now,” he explained.
“There have been games where we could have got a win and could have got a draw, but there have been games where certainly we’ve not deserved to get anything and we haven’t.
“I think last week we deserved the three points against Cowdenbeath, and in the game against Falkirk I think we ground it out.
“It’s fine margins, especially in this league, and the first goal can say a lot about what’s going to happen in the rest of the game, so hopefully Saturday we’ll go again.
“We’ll take another 1-0.”
Queens have twice had the better of Raith this term and John Baird netted in both games, so home fans would have been glad to see the former Rovers striker leave Palmerston for Falkirk this week.
Although Thomson added: “He’s popped up a few times against us and scored, but he’s moved to Falkirk now so we’ll see him at some point in the season again.”
Rovers boss Grant Murray has been delighted to see his team halt their disappointing run of late and is well aware of what a win could do for confidence this afternoon.
“It’s a big game it’s as simple as that,” he concluded.
“After the last two away games, we want to try and get back to having some sort of consistency.
“It’s been fantastic getting back to clean sheets especially going to Falkirk who hadn’t lose a goal in four games.
“To go away to Cowdenbeath in a derby and keep a clean sheet was great, and we want to build on that.
“It doesn’t mean we’re going to keep a clean sheet this week, and it doesn’t mean to say we’re going to pick up points.
“In this league you can’t take anything for granted and it’s all about what you do on the day.
“It’s about how you react to what happens on the day and we’ve got to be prepared for Queens coming to Stark’s Park looking to keep themselves where they are.”
A sickness bug has disrupted Rovers’ preparations ahead of the game, with Kevin Moon and Lewis Vaughan thought to be the biggest doubts.
Winger Barrie McKay should be available for selection after missing last weekend’s game, while Christian Nade and Ross Callachan are also expected to be OK.