Livingston’s next six games will define their season, according to boss David Martindale.
The Lions sit in fifth place in the Premiership with five games remaining before the split as they seek to claim a top-six berth for the second straight year whilst also having next week’s Betfred Cup final to play.
They travel to Paisley tomorrow to face a St Mirren side sitting five points below them in the table.
Martindale said: “We’ve got six cup finals starting against St Mirren on Saturday that will define the season.
“I said that to the guys after the defeat at the weekend against Dundee United.
“You’re wary of building it up too much but then again, I think you have to show the importance of the fixtures coming up and what you can achieve.
“They’ve put themselves in a fantastic position with results to this point in the season.”
He added: “I think one win probably gets you top six but it will likely keep you sixth and you’re not then giving yourself a chance when you get to the split to look further up the table.
“They’re massive games coming up, every single one of them.
“But if you look at the negatives, we could all be sitting here after those six games having finished outside the top six and having lost a cup final.
“To be honest, I actually really enjoy the pressure of it and these types of games and occasions.
“I’d much rather that than going somewhere in a midweek game and neither side has anything to play for.
“I think the longer you go on with the season meaning something, the better.”
The gaffer also revealed that Scott Robinson could feature after picking up an injury early in last week's defeat at Dundee United.
He said: "Scott is touch and go. He’ll be all right for the final but it might be a gamble if we played him and it seized up the following week.
"The team that goes out on Saturday can go and play themselves into a final. It’s an incentive but I do believe it plays a part sub-consciously on them as well.
“I’m lucky in that I know I’m going to be in the dugout for the final. Players go on the park thinking about an injury, a suspension with a red card, other aspects sub-consciously.
“It doesn’t affect me. I don’t think about the final because I know I am going to be there. That’s probably the difference.”
