From fears of relegation to dreams of promotion, Deniz Mehmet has urged Dunfermline to create one memorable final twist in a rollercoaster season.
The Pars goalkeeper has used the often-cited ‘cup final’ analogy to describe how important the coming weeks could be.
But, for the following three games to mean as much as that, the Fifers really need a victory against Airdrie this weekend.
A draw would make catching the Diamonds in fourth an extremely tough task. A defeat would dash any hopes of snatching that play-off place.
“With the games running out and everyone so close together on points, this is our first one of potentially four cup finals that we are going to have now,” said Mehmet.
“Let’s get the first one done on Saturday and hopefully it goes the way that we want it to go.
“We know how big the game is on Saturday. So, it’s just a matter of turning up on the day, rising to the occasion and hopefully getting the three points.”
Dunfermline go into the game having lost just twice in their last ten games.
It is an impressive run that has followed a worrying sequence of nine games without a victory that left the East End Park men languishing in second-bottom spot in the Championship.
Deniz Mehmet: ‘We kept our morale high’
With just a six-point lead at that stage over basement boys Arbroath, battling the drop was the only thought.
Just two months later, and with a host of injured players back in the fold to strengthen James McPake’s options, the Pars are 19 points above Arbroath and are a commanding seven ahead of Inverness Caley Thistle in ninth.
“It is good to get away from where we were, sitting ninth at one point looking around the dressing room at each other,” added Mehmet.
“We understood the situation that we were in and what was the main reason for causing it. We kept our morale high and kept positive amongst ourselves.
“Once everybody started getting back, we knew we would come out of it, or so we thought we would. Luckily we have done that.
“We kept our spirits high, kept positive, kept confident in what we were going to do. It was only a matter of time before this blip, as we called it, goes by.
“It is nice to be now pushing for the better play-offs. Hopefully we can get into that one.”
Dunfermline will head to Airdrie buoyed by an impressive record against the Diamonds.
With just one defeat in their last seven games against Rhys McCabe’s side, including a 2-1 victory the last time in Lanarkshire, the Pars can only travel with confidence.
However, the hosts have lost just once in their last ten outings and plundered a magnificent 3-1 win away to Raith Rovers on Tuesday night to dent the Kirkcaldy side’s title hopes.
Mutual respect in Dunfermline v Airdrie
“They are a good side and I think there is a mutual respect from last season with us both coming up [from League One],” said Mehmet.
“We know that they are a decent enough side. They have definitely given us good games and, likewise, we have given them good games.
“Hopefully Saturday will be another one to add to it.
“It is a good record that we have got against them, definitely, but in 90 minutes anything can happen on the day.
“It is just a matter of doing our jobs, doing our side of it and hopefully coming away with the result that we want.”
