Ross County captain Andrew Davies warned his side’s season will feel like a failure if they miss out on the top six.
The Staggies have spent the majority of the season in the top half of the table, but Saturday’s 5-2 defeat at Dundee dropped the League Cup winners to seventh position with only one game remaining before the split.
A Greg Stewart double bookended goals from Kane Hemmings, Rory Loy and Craig Wighton to give the Dens Park side a deserved victory against the Staggies who replied through Davies and Alex Schalk.
Davies said: “It was a disappointing day but we will get what we deserve from this season.
“If we don’t finish in the top six then it will be a real disappointment and a failure.
“That is what we set out to do at the start of the season.
“There have been games we should have won. We have conceded goals we shouldn’t have and missed chances at the other end which have hurt us.
“Where we end up is where we deserve.”
County have suffered two defeats and a draw since winning the League Cup final last month and Davies has been surprised by his side’s reaction to the Hampden triumph.
He said: “I feel we should get confidence from something like that.
“I have been proud all season to captain this team, but the fact I was the captain when we won the club’s first trophy made me feel even more proud.
“Everyone is different. We will see where we end up but we have to dig deep now after a disappointing day.
“It is not the first time we have conceded a lot of goals. As a defence we have to look at ourselves. It is disappointing for everyone involved.”
County must now hope Dundee slip in their final two games before the split, against Celtic and Hamilton, while making sure they take care of Partick Thistle in Dingwall on Saturday.
Davies added: “It is hard because we have been in the top six for so long and had a very good season, but it is about where we finish at the end. I would have swapped being out of the top six all year and then creeping in at the end.
“That is the way football goes – it’s crazy.”