SEASON

Arbroath went into last night’s meeting Ayr United having suffered just one defeat in eight, a sequence which saw the Gayfield outfit climb above us into the coveted eighth position.

They will be at home to Dundee next Saturday, then travel to face Inverness and Raith Rovers before we make the short trip south on the 22nd of this month.

Their penultimate fixture is at Firhill, then on the final evening of the regular season, when we will be at home to Morton, Arbroath entertain Hamilton in what could be a shoot-out for survival.

Our other matches during the run-in are at home to Caley Thistle on the 15th and away to Dundee on Friday 28th.

For those last few games to be meaningful, the team is going to have to find a way to stop the rot and do what the other two have done, pick up points over a series of outings.

The likelihood is that the Arbroath and Hamilton meetings will be pivotal, and the good news on that front is that we are unbeaten in the six previous head-to-heads this season, with a win and two draws against each of our relegation rivals.

Victories in both would go a long way to easing our fears, but whatever happens, it seems certain to be a nerve-shredding conclusion during which mentality is likely to be the most important factor.

As the manager put it last week:

“We are not going to play our way out of trouble, at this stage of the season, it is going to be about fight and hard work.”

Everyone at Balmoral knew this was going to be a challenge for Cove; as a part-time team stepping up to the highest level the club has ever operated at, it was always going to be a demanding campaign.

If the players can find something special over the next few weeks, retaining our Championship status would be up there with the biggest achievements in the club’s history.