Steven MacLean’s rallying cry for St Johnstone
Saints run of form has seen them win just once since Christmas.
St Johnstone striker Steven MacLean has issued a rallying cry to his team-mates after admitting the club are in a relegation fight.
Saints could finish the weekend as low as ninth in the Ladbrokes Premiership following a run of form that has seen them win just once since Christmas.
Tommy Wright conceded that their top six hopes are now dead after a defeat at Kilmarnock on Wednesday, but MacLean is more concerned with what is going on at the foot of the table.
"We've been in a relegation battle for four weeks," the experienced front man said.
"We have to be aware of it because people are playing for their careers and their jobs, if you get dragged in there it won't be nice.
"There is no getting away from it, we are in a dog fight and we need to come out fighting."
He added: "If they (his team-mates) are not aware then they are silly, because that's the way it is.
"Saturday's game against Dundee; if they beat us they go above us and that just shows you, because they are in the dogfight as well.
"Every game now is massive and every three points is going to be valuable until the end of the season.
"It's a time for rolling your sleeves up, a time for character and there's no hiding place out there now.''
Saturday's trip to Dens Park could be enough to ease all fears of slipping into the bottom two should St Johnstone maintain the current two-point gap on their opponents, and MacLean hopes it could be the start of a more consistent run.
He said: "It's important to keep the gap, but every three points is massive now.
"If we win we go five points ahead of them. It's a big game, there's no getting away from that.
"We will be positive and look for three points to put a gap between us and then hopefully put some results together.
"Every time we have had a positive result this season we have followed it up with poor performances or a poor result, so it's about time we put a consecutive number of performances together."