Dundee United’s goal-scoring defender Ryan Edwards insists they must attack their five games leading up to the split, starting with Livingston’s visit to Tannadice on Saturday.
Edwards, who has scored in United’s last two matches, says they are aiming to pick up as many Premiership points as possible to make a late push for the top six.
After last weekend’s 2-0 win over Ross County, in which Edwards scored the second following his consolation strike in the 2-1 defeat at Motherwell the previous Wednesday, the Terrors snapped an eight-game winless run to get back in the hunt.
They are only one point and one place behind St Mirren, who currently occupy the final top-half berth, but it could’ve been a different story had they not won in Dingwall.
Speaking to DUTV, Edwards admits they were relieved to have opened an eight-point gap on second-bottom County and says they are now looking up.
“It’s good to not be looking over your shoulder as closely as we could’ve been,” the 27-year-old said.
“Rather than that we can look to what’s ahead of us and another tough game this weekend against Livi, who’ve been on an unbelievable run.
“We’ll be looking for another win because if we’re not to win again we will be checking our shoulders and probably be in trouble.
“We need to go an attack all the games that are left and try to get as many points as we can from now until then.”
Win at Ross County gave United breathing space
The big Liverpudlian centre-half was happy with their overall performance in the Highlands as United bagged an important first win of the year.
“It’s good to get back to winning ways,” he added.
“It’s been a while and we knew how much of a big game it was with them not far behind us.
“We’ve opened a bit more breathing space to now, maybe, look upwards.
“I think we started well and we got the message put across to us, not that we needed it, about what could potentially happen if we weren’t to win on Saturday.
“I think we deserved to win because we picked up from the second-half performance last Wednesday night.
“We took it into Saturday and, it may not have been pretty at times with the state the pitch was in, sometimes you’ve got to win ugly.
“They threw bodies at us at the end and we dealt with it.”
Edwards not giving up his goal to Clark easily
The former Blackpool defender was particularly pleased to score in a United win and be fully able to celebrate his second league goal of the season.
However, Edwards was keen to point out it’s his third overall, after he and Nicky Clark have hotly-contested the Tangerines’ Betfred Cup group-stage winner against Kelty Hearts earlier in the campaign.
“That goal was something to celebrate but, obviously, Wednesday wasn’t.
“Just to clarify, that was my third of the season.
“We’re not still letting Clarky cling onto that one.
“It’s three for the season and, hopefully, it’s a few more.
“It was a moment of relief and joy because it gave us that bit of breathing space to go and see the game out.
“I think we did that perfectly.”