Saturday’s clash with Hamilton Accies is the “biggest game of our season” according to Dundee’s Mark O’Hara.
Top six football is out of the Dark Blues’ reach for another year but Premiership safety has yet to be secured.
And ending a six-game losing run at Dens Park this weekend would be a big step towards achieving that goal.
O’Hara said: “I felt we more than matched Hearts for a lot of the game (which Dundee lost 1-0).
“We need to take that into the Hamilton game because it is the biggest of our season so far.
“We win it and we give ourselves a bit of freedom to go out and play in the games to come. Then we are only worrying about ourselves.”
The former Kilmarnock man added: “Every game is a six-pointer between now and the end of the season but, if we win our next couple of games we can give ourselves a bit of breathing space.
“If we do, we can then target seventh place because that’s the highest we can finish now.
“With a couple of wins in this league you can jump right up the table and get to safety quickly.”
Meanwhile, O’Hara has backed new team-mate Daniel Higgins to become a first team regular.
The pair are lifelong friends and O’Hara expects the teenager to be a Dens Park hit after making an impressive debut at Tynecastle.
He said: “Daniel and I have known each other since we were toddlers because our mums are best friends.
“I was delighted when he came here and he’s done well. It was his birthday on Saturday and I know he didn’t think that was how he would be spending it.
“But he’s a very confident player and a really chilled out boy. Nothing fazes him and he can rack up his games between now and the end of the season.
“He can handle the pressure and I know he’s capable of doing a very good job.”
