Dundee manager Barry Smith has appealed to the Dark Blues’ fans to keep the faith for the rest of the season.
Defeat to Hamilton in midweek was a knockout blow to their already rocky promotion hopes, but Smith will concede nothing until the arithmetic dictates league leaders Ross County can’t be caught.
The prospect of another season in the first division may have some supporters pondering whether or not to keep attending for the remainder of the season. However, the ability to maintain good crowd levels while others even in the SPL have struggled to do so has been rightly viewed with pride at the club.
The Dens men host relegation-threatened Raith Rovers on Saturday on the back of that 3-1 loss to Accies and Smith is urging the Dundee fans to keep turning out in their usual numbers despite the championship race being something of a foregone conclusion.
”We have four home games on the bounce now and we need the fans to carry on supporting the boys the way they have been all season,” said Smith. ”We need their support and the more fans that turn up between now and the end of the season the better it is for us financially.
”The club is in a healthier position than it has been but we still need the supporters to come out in numbers.”
Smith knows Raith will be fired up for the trip to Dens as they strive to stay in the league.
He added: ”All our games with Raith have been tight so, considering what they are fighting for, this one will be no different.
”Everyone wants the three points for different reasons so we would expect nothing less from Raith.”
Strikers Steven Milne and Carl Finnigan will be given every chance of recovering after missing the Hamilton game but it is too early for Nicky Riley’s comeback.