The two part-time sides in the Championship, Cove Rangers and Arbroath, meet at the Balmoral Stadium on Saturday.
That the two of them find themselves occupying the final two berths in the division may not be a surprise to some, given the obvious disadvantages they are up against.
Reduced training time together, holding down a full-time job, minimal downtime; sacrifices that will be familiar to any part-time footballer up and down the country.
For Cove midfielder Connor Scully, it is all he has ever known. Scully has been at Cove his entire career, making his debut as a fledgling teenager and has now represented the club in four separate leagues. The Premiership is the only one left on his bucket list.
But to get to this point, Scully states, requires a discipline and determination present in all within the Cove squad.
“The main thing about being semi-pro is that we’ve got to take good care of ourselves,” he said. “I try and go to the gym three or four times a week, on top of training. Diet is also a massive thing in modern football.
“We’ve got to keep on top of that as part-time players. Full-time players can get fed at the ground.
“That’s probably why we are where we are today at Cove, because we all take good care of ourselves and stay as fit as we can in and out of football.
“All the guys do different jobs. Some are in the construction industry, so I can be up at four or five in the morning then play a game on a Tuesday night. I have to try to get my eight hours (of work) in before I can leave early.
“It’s tough but it’s all I’ve ever known. I’ve never played full-time football. We don’t get the rest days after a midweek game. It’s just the norm for me.”
Cove managers continue to show faith in Scully. Kevin Tindal, John Sheran, Paul Hartley and now Jim McIntyre have all seen what the versatile midfielder brings to the table.
“My game is based on running and fitness, being the dog of the team and doing a lot of the dirty work,” said Scully. “A lot of managers like that and I know the gaffer does.
“I’ve managed to stay in the team but you need to be on top of it every game, because we’ve now got a full squad. If you have a bad game, you’ll be back out.
“Staying at a consistent level every game seems to be what I’m good at so I’ll continue to do that. I’m probably the fittest I’ve ever been right now.”
This season has pushed Cove into uncharted territory. The winning juggernaut has slowed to a crawl, as they find the going difficult being in the second-tier for the first time.
Their solitary win of the league season came on the opening day against Raith Rovers and while performances have steadily improved, results have not come in tow.
“It will eventually come,” said Scully. “We’re doing all the right things in training and in games, we just need to get rid of the silly goals. That’s probably the main reason we’re getting beat.
“We’re losing silly goals and having to come from a goal down is difficult. We’re struggling a lot in the final third just now; coming from everyone, we just can’t do that last bit right.
“At the other end, we seem to be losing really sloppy goals, which is not like us. We need to tighten up and I think we will go on a run. Hopefully, it’s soon, as we really need a couple of wins and a few points on the board.”
The return of Blair Yule to the Cove team has also been greatly appreciated. An ankle problem had kept him out for two months but Yule was restored to the starting line-up for the first time this campaign against Raith Rovers.
“He’s very versatile – put him anywhere and he’ll put a shift in for you,” said Scully. “He’s like a new signing, having missed much of pre-season. He beds well into the midfield so it’s good to have him back.
“It’s a tough game this weekend and we need him and his experience.”