Elgin City captain Jon-Paul McGovern says the onus is on the Black and Whites to keep alive their promotion hopes in today’s crucial League 2 match at home to Stirling Albion.
Gavin Price’s men sit just a point adrift of the play-off places although Stenhousemuir, who are also on 44 points, have two games in hand.
Stirling defeated City 2-0 at Borough Briggs only last Tuesday, with the Forthbank outfit 10 points ahead of the chasing pack for a top-four place.
McGovern, who had a brief spell with the Binos in 2015, says Elgin must look to make home advantage count, and he said: “Stirling have had a good season. They may feel they are already in the play-offs with the points they have got, but that in itself is up to them.
“It will be a tough game as they are a good side, but it’s a home game so we have got to set our stall out.
“It’s really all about us making a push. With five games to go, we have still got a chance of making the play-offs so there is everything to play for.”
Elgin have rekindled their play-off hopes since the loss to Stirling, however former Celtic and Sheffield Wednesday midfielder McGovern will not get carried away regardless of today’s outcome.
He added: “We have had two good results away from home which we are coming off the back of.
“After beating Stenhousemuir we were maybe a bit disappointed to only get one point against Berwick, but it’s four points from six away from home.
“It may not have mattered as there will still be a lot of chopping and changing with five games to go.
“It’s still in Stenny’s hands, but Clyde are on a good run, although they have a tough game this weekend away to Peterhead.
“Nobody is really talking about us but we have just got to go about our business. If we win it does not guarantee us the play-offs, and if we lose it does not guarantee we will not make them.”
Today’s game will be Elgin’s seventh in the space of 22 days but 38-year-old McGovern, who has started every game this season after joining from Clyde, insists he has not felt the effects of the schedule more than anybody else, adding: “People may have asked whether I could play as many games without a break but as long as I can still perform to a level I feel as fit as anybody.
“It’s always tough at part-time level, with guys trying to juggle work and so many other things.
“A couple of the Elgin-based boys didn’t get back until after 4am with work on Wednesday morning, while after the home game against Stirling Albion there were guys based in the central belt who got home after 1am and had to be up before 5am for work.
“It has been a tough couple of weeks for everyone but it has been the same for all the teams so there are no excuses.”
