Painful experience has taught Alex Nicholls what Dundee United must aim for as they take their promotion bid towards the Premiership play-offs.
With Hibs running away with top spot in the Championship and automatic promotion, the Tangerines have accepted their route back to the top flight will be via the end-of-season showdowns.
And with the team finishing second having one less tie to negotiate than the other two sides from the second tier who’ll be involved, United are focused on hauling themselves back into that spot.
While 29-year-old Nicholls agrees that would be a bonus, his long career down in England has taught him what is most vital when the post season comes round.
“It’s important to secure your play-off spot as soon as possible and second is definitely what we are aiming for,” said the man who’s on loan from Barnet.
“Personally, though, I think going into the play-offs it’s all about momentum.
“Get a good run of results going into them and you are full of confidence. You are kind of on a wave then and you can carry it on and, hopefully, get promotion.
“So, while we want to finish second, definitely, it is all about that momentum and going in as the team who are winning games.
“We’ve won a cup final on Saturday, then got a good result on Tuesday against Ayr to back that up and, hopefully, this will be the start of the momentum that’s so important.”
And Nicholls can back that theory up with the less-than-pleasant recollection of his first season with Northampton back in 2012/13.
As well as breaking his leg a few months into that campaign, he had to sit and watch as his team-mates were crushed in a League Two play-off final at Wembley by a Bradford City side, who were on the kind of run he wants for United.
“In the final itself we were three down at half-time, so it wasn’t the best experience for the lads.
“We had won the first leg in the semi-final (against Cheltenham) 1-0 and did the same in the second leg but going into the play-offs we weren’t doing that great to be honest.
“Then it was Bradford in the final and they were flying. They had been in about 10th place but went on a run, got into the last play-off place on the final day of the season and just kept going.
“They maintained their run into the play-offs and just kept going from strength to strength and that’s what it’s all about. That’s what we have to aim for.”
United will be aiming to make it three wins in eight days when they travel to meet Queen of the South in Dumfries.
And a victory will kill off any lingering hopes the Doonhamers have of stealing fourth spot from them over the next month-and-a-bit.
For Nicholls, three points are very much on the cards.
“The lads had a good result down there earlier in the season in the league and then we won there in the Challenge Cup semi-final, so we are going there feeling positive.
“I think it also maybe helps a bit the game is away from home because, as you saw the other night, teams are still coming to Tannadice and sitting off us a bit.
“Ayr did that and we had to be patient. Away from home it is a bit more open and that suits us.
“We are feeling confident because the last two results have been good and another three points will help that and keep building the momentum I’ve been talking about.”
This article originally appeared on the Evening Telegraph website. For more information, read about our new combined website.