Points Required for 8th Place

I reckon 37 points should about do it, so another 3 wins and a draw from our last 6 games, tough but doable.

Alloa H- We must win.

Hibs A- Like the Falkirk game we're up against it but def could take something. Won't count on it though.

Morton A- Another tough game and we'd have to pull off another cup final performance to grind out a win, again wont count on anything here but hopeful.

QoS A- Shouldn't be anything to play for for queens so decent chance of a win here, have to take at least a point, hopefully 3.

Sevco H- Title is won, minds are on their hols, good chance of getting a point or 3 here.

Raith H- Play offs will be in their minds, perhaps even resting players, 3 points Livi.

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Yep, reckon we can take at least 10 from that, maybe even 11 or 12. We seem to build a bit of momentum up in the last quarter, the players are looking confident in themselves with a bit of grit in their play too.

Mon the Livi, we can do this.

Think we'll get 3 from Alloa, 0 from Hibs, 1 from Morton, 3 from Queens, 0 from Sevco, 1 from Raif.
Dumbarton will get 0 from Morton and Sevco, 1 from Queens, 1 from Raif, 0 from St Mirren and Hibs, 3 from Alloa.

Making it finish:

8th - Livingston  - 35
9th - Dumbarton - 34

I might just be getting a bit ahead of myself, and any time I get a bit optimistic I'm reminded why I shouldn't be...

I'm taking 3 from Raith because it's at home and we've already comfortably beaten them at home, and it's the last game of the season before the play offs so they'll have absolutely nothing to play for, will also hopefully rest up key players.

Then again hopefully it will be a meaningless game for us too and both of us just play it like a pre season game.

If we work hard, there's enough games against teams who have nothing to play for, in which we can pick up points.

We need a points lead over Dumbarton going into the final game as they are away to Alloa. Raith are far too bitter a team to let us stroll away with the points without working hard.

I suspect Morton and QoS will be battling for the bigger payout from coming 5th so won't give us an easy ride either

Hmmm...I think if we set up in the right way and keep things tight we can go to ER and take something home with us. I don't think we'll take anything from Morton however, but our form in Dumfries is fairly good - again with the right set-up I wouldn't be shocked to see us winning down there. Rangers we can take a draw from and Raif will be a nervy game but I think we have the players to do it. At this moment my honest assessment wold be:

Alloa - 3
Hibs - 0
Morton - 0
QOS - 3
Rangers - 1
Raif - 3

Giving us 10 points. Coming off the back of 0 points in 2 successive games against Hibs and Morton might be tough to recover from in Dumfries, so I'm calling it on a game by game basis, it's very unpredictable.

We need to start playing now though, we can't lapse in concentration and drop daft points here and there (like St Mirren last week). Guys like Stanton, Telfer and Fotheringham are big players to have in a run in like this, and it's good to see Buchanan, big White and Pittman all doing well.

Longridge could be a big miss though, and I still don't want Cole playing - can't risk having defensive players having 2/3 clown moments a game at such an important stage. Neil & Gordon at centre-half.

Bertie Bassett wrote:I suspect Morton and QoS will be battling for the bigger payout from coming 5th so won't give us an easy ride either

Doubt that really means much to the players, certainly isn't as much as an incentive as 4th place or the scrap down the bottom to avoid the play offs. It's really a meh ending to the season coming 5th, 6th and 7th.

Nobody will just give us the points though, we'll need to play well/battle hard for them.

It works for Dumbarton too though, their St Mirren game worries me, St Mirren will be safe and prob let up a bit taking their foot right off the gas, can see Dumbarton winning that game.