The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Strachan out to rain on Livi parade
Peterhead midfielder Ryan Strachan has urged his team-mates to take confidence from their last trip to Almondvale as they try to spoil Livingston’s title celebrations.
The League 1 title will be presented to champions Livi today but the Blue Toon badly need a win in their attempt to stay in the division.
A home loss to bottom club Stenhousemuir means the gap at the bottom of the league is just two points with two games remaining and Strachan is looking for confidence wherever he can get it as his side searches for what would be a vital three points.
He said: “There will be a big crowd there and Livingston will want to put on a show for their supporters which is maybe not a good thing for us.
“They will get the trophy after the game as well.
“But we won at Livingston in November. I remember it as I injured my knee in the game but the fact we have beaten them is a positive we can take going into the game.
“Our morale was different back then to what it is now but we do need to be positive.”
Jim McInally’s side could still catch eighth-placed Stranraer and avoid the play-offs altogether but Strachan would take either option if it means his club stays in the division.
He said: “It’s all about survival now and it does not matter if it’s through the play-offs.
“We are stuttering and not getting what we need from matches, so it is a worry but it is still in our hands.
“We are in trouble and we’ve got to stand up and be counted now.
“We just have to focus on winning these last two games and if we do that we’ll either be safe or have some momentum for the play-offs.”
Meanwhile, Peterhead have announced they will extend their “Fitba for a Fiver” promotion for the their last home league fixture of the season against Alloa next Saturday.
Season-ticket holders will be given a complimentary ticket to bring a friend while under-12s will be admitted free of charge for the game.
General manager Martin Johnston said: “We are hoping that the whole town will come down and give us some muchneeded vocal support as Jim and the lads try to avoid relegation. This division is the tightest of the whole SPFL and only six points separate the relegation play-off place to the promotion play-off section.” Hamilton have been through it all before when it comes to relegation fights – now Louis Longridge hopes that experience will give them a crucial edge on their Premiership demotion rivals.
As things stand, Inverness look to be heading back down to the Championship, while Dundee face a play-off fight to save their top-flight place.
That could all change in the final five games of the campaign but Accies midfielder Longridge reckons the scrapes his side has survived in recent years proves Accies have the survival knowhow.
Martin Canning’s men are looking to secure a fourth straight campaign in the Premiership next season – a remarkable feat for a side regularly coming out bottom of the budget league.
But what Hamilton lack in cash, Longridge reckons
“We’re always the team who is predicted to go down”
they more than make up for in terms of bottle.
With Accies ninth in the Premiership, Longridge, whose side hosts Kilmarnock today, said: “The fact we’ve been in about these relegation tussles before will help us.
“We’re always the team who is predicted to go down, so every game we play we’re the underdogs.
“It’s a bonus if we can remain in the division because we’ve got the lowest budget and we’re always tipped for relegation.
“Teams like Dundee and Inverness maybe do not expect to be in the position they are in because they are quite big clubs. There is more expectation for them to stay up.
“We’re just hoping to take advantage of that and put as much pressure on the teams round about us.
“Nerves will come into play for all the teams. It can be a jittery time and people can under-perform because they know what’s at stake. It’s going to come down to who can hold their nerve.”