RYAN Edwards has admitted Partick Thistle’s players know they are fighting for those who work at the club in their bid to beat the drop .
But despite their latest survival blow, the Australian midfielder still believes he and his team-mates have the mentality to cope with the pressure heaped upon them.
Tuesday’s 1-0 defeat to Motherwell sees them sit just two points above bottom-placed Ross County with a game to go and hope of finishing outside the bottom two all but gone.
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It now appears at best Thistle could do is finish in the play-offs, and Edwards is focusing on doing all he can to secure that lesser evil for the sake of those on the Firhill staff.
He said: “It’s 100-per-cent the case that we need to go for the win as it’s all ifs and buts.
“If we draw and Ross County win then we are down so we need to win the game, it’s as simple as that.
“It’s all about what we do at Dens Park and we’ve had good games against Dundee this season.
“They are safe and we will use motivation from previous performances to go there and get the three points.
“We have enough in our dressing room to do that.
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“Every game has been a case of we need to win. I’ve been saying that before every game since the split.
“The four games so far, it’s been the same mentality. We need to work hard over the next few days and get ready. Everyone thrives on that pressure. We have a good away support to push us through and hopefully be in the play-offs.
“Pressure is a good thing for footballers and I deal with it quite well.
“In the back of your mind you know you are playing for all of the staff.
“You are playing for a future at the club, for the fans, for the youth teams, everyone.
“That plays on your mind, but we strongly believe we have enough in our dressing room to finish strongly.”
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Belief is a big thing at this stage of the game and Edwards reckons the Jags still have it in abundance.
Only one win has been garnered since the split but recent home games against Ross County and now Motherwell have seen points slip through their grasp.
The fact they have been very much in these games offers some consolation, but the Aussie knows Saturday’s day in the City of Discovery must be different.
“You see that effort and belief from the whole team, from the players to the staff but we are the ones who have been playing,” he said. “We still have the belief to get out of the position we are in.
“Hamilton are now safe due to there superior goal difference so it has come down to ourselves and Ross County. We both have away games and all we can do is hope we win at Dundee and that’s us in the play-off.
“That’s all we can focus on.
“We conceded from a set-piece which was disappointing but we put everything into it, you could see the effort was there.
“We are still fighting to stay in the league. It’s disappointing we didn’t get the three points or a point on Tuesday night.”
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