Nikolay Todorov insists he would have laughed at anyone who suggested at the start of the season that Dunfermline would be battling to avoid relegation with just two games to go.
But, as their turbulent campaign approaches a momentous conclusion, the striker is determined to help ensure that it is the Pars who are left smiling in the race for Championship survival.
Dunfermline head for Partick Thistle this afternoon in eighth, with their noses in front of Ayr United thanks to the better head-to-head against their rivals.
With Queen of the South at the bottom still not out of it, it is a remarkable three-way shoot-out to beat the drop and the dreaded play-off place.
🗣 John ahead of tomorrow's match
➡️ https://t.co/UgrGo70PoU pic.twitter.com/IAUCQr9uhg
— Dunfermline Athletic (@officialdafc) April 22, 2022
Todorov gave the Fifers a massive boost with the dramatic late winner against Ayr last weekend that hauled them level with the Honest Men on points, goal difference and goals scored.
The former Hearts and Inverness marksman admits it was probably the most important goal of his career.
Now, he is desperate to have his say as the East End Park men seek the two victories they are targeting to cling to their second-tier status.
He said: “There is a lot of pressure. Everyone deals differently with the pressure, some people go into their shell and they can’t deal with it, for some people it is just what they need.
“I can say that the spirits in training, especially after that last game, are very high. In every game I can see that the boys are believing we can do it.
“If you had told me at the start of the season that we would have been in this position I would have just laughed at you.
“But we are where we are and it is a lot of pressure. Probably the coaches, manager and staff working behind the scenes feel it as well but I can see that we are in a good place.
“Every goal is important at the minute. We just need goals and I cannot remember any other goal that I have scored [compared to last weekend] that has been that crucial in my career.”
Todorov has made just eight league starts in his 25 appearances for Dunfermline since signing last summer and his decisive strike against Ayr was his first goal since September 11.
The 25-year-old was an ever-present under Peter Grant at the start of the campaign but has been used sparingly since and has not made the starting line-up once under current manager John Hughes.
A foot injury has not helped the Bulgarian whose early-season form sparked chatter of a possible international call-up.
However, after his vital cameo outing last week, the one-time Nottingham Forest trainee is desperate to play as big a role as possible in keeping the Pars up.
‘Best celebration with the fans’
He added: “At the beginning of the season, I came to the club to score goals. Obviously I have not done that as much as I wanted to through the whole season but I am happy to have done that last Saturday.
“It was an amazing feeling. I love scoring goals but that is definitely up there as the best celebration with the fans. They went crazy and that is what they come to watch. The atmosphere was amazing.
“I hope that we can repay the fans and give them two wins in the last two games to get out of this situation and start afresh in the summer.”
