Aberdeen interim manager Paul Sheerin has urged his side to put pressure on Hibernian as the race for third place reaches the home straight.
Following 33 games, it has become a five-match sprint to the finish line and it is the Dons who have it all to do as they bid to claw back a seven-point deficit.
Aberdeen have the chance to reduce the gap to four points – for 24 hours at least – and Sheerin knows it is vital his side take it at St Johnstone today in what will be his final game in charge before Stephen Glass takes over on Tuesday.
He said: “It’s important to get points on the board, three points at any time are important.
“The gap’s a bit wider than we would like going into the split, but it does give us the opportunity to close it to four points, albeit Hibs will play Rangers on Sunday with the chance to open that gap again.
“It is always a challenge against St Johnstone all the time I have been involved at the club.
“I have been involved in first team games since I have been in so I know coming up against them more often than not they are stuffy affairs.
“A lot of the time they have been 1-0s and 0-0s with the odd occasion where there have been more goals.
“We are well aware it will be a tough afternoon. We know how well St Johnstone have done as a club with winning the League Cup and getting a top six finish again.
“Their consistency has been incredible. We will prepare as best we can.”
Callum Hendry will miss out against his parent club but Fraser Hornby is set to return after missing the 1-0 win at Dumbarton in the Scottish Cup last weekend.
Hendry’s goal was the Dons’ second in the last 11 matches, but Sheerin hopes the strike is a sign Aberdeen’s return in front of goal is set to improve.
He said: “The longer it goes and with the position we have been in with the lack of goals it was a bit more precarious than we would have liked it to be.
“But the fact we had 25 shots on target and 83% of the possession suggests we were worth our win, albeit it would have been nice to have been more comfortable and Dumbarton made it difficult for us.
“I know, having been the underdog in my time they do like to glorify the underdog, but we were well worth the win on Saturday.”
Calvin Ramsay has recovered from the cramp which forced him to come off at Dumbarton, while Jack MacKenzie is also available after missing the win due to being cup-tied.