It is remarkable the difference some confidence has made at Aberdeen.
For a side with work to do in securing their Premiership status, the loss of the manager on the day of a vital game would be enough to rattle most teams.
But it’s a measure of the progress which the Dons have made under interim boss Peter Leven they did not bat an eyelid when news broke he would miss the visit of St Johnstone due to an emergency procedure.
The players trusted in the preparations they had and, following a few short words from coach Scott Anderson, they went out and executed the plan to record the victory and secure three points which ended any lingering doubts about being hauled into the play-offs.
Credit where it is due to Dons youth coach Anderson, too, as it ended up being quite a week for him.
He went from leading his under-18s side at the Scottish Youth Cup final at Hampden last Wednesday (2-1 loss), to a must-win U18s league match early on Saturday – beating Queen’s Park 3-2 at Cormack Park – before rounding off the week as temporary first-team manager at Pittodrie with a second victory on the same day.
Clean sheets starting to rack up for Aberdeen
Bojan Miovski took his tally for the season to 25 with the penalty which won the game for Aberdeen against St Johnstone, and he could easily have scored two or three more given the chances created.
There were flashes of frustration followed by a smile as he knew another chance would come his way soon.
That’s what keeping clean sheets does for you, and Aberdeen have now kept five in their last six matches.
It may not seem like that big a deal, but when you consider they only managed four clean sheets in the previous 29 league matches, then you can see how drastic an improvement it is.
Credit where it’s due then to Angus MacDonald and Stefan Gartenmann.
A defensive partnership which we had hardly seen play together all season has developed into a formidable pairing which, supported ably by full backs Nicky Devlin and Jack Mackenzie, has been pivotal in Aberdeen’s improving fortunes.
Given Leven has been keeping incoming new manager Jimmy Thelin abreast of developments ahead of him taking charge next month I’ve no doubt the defence will have come in for some praise from the interim boss – and rightly so.
All eyes on seventh
With Aberdeen’s place in the Premiership secured, all eyes are now on Easter Road, where the Dons know they will move above Hibernian into seventh spot if they win on Sunday.
What seemed like a tall order of winning all five post-split matches does not look such a fanciful notion as Aberdeen head into the final week of a topsy-turvy campaign.
They are scoring goals, creating chances and keeping clean sheets.
Their opponents Hibs continue to struggle for rhythm, but I am sure Nicky Montgomery and his players will want to produce a response following their 2-1 defeat to Ross County in Dingwall on Saturday.
But Aberdeen should be heading to the capital in good spirits given their recent results.
As I stated earlier, confidence is a remarkable thing.
Ross County’s safety target is in sight
Ross County have given themselves a huge shot in the arm thanks to their late winner against Hibernian on Saturday.
The Staggies showed terrific spirt to rally from conceding the opening goal to winning the game with the three points, lifting Don Cowie’s side out of the play-off zone with three matches remaining.
As a result, County can avoid any final-day drama – and the play-offs altogether – with a game to spare.
That’s a scenario few would have dreamed possible a couple of months ago, so credit where it’s due to Don and the players.
The home record has been the major reason for County’s improved fortunes with County undefeated at home under their interim boss.
If they pick up another three points when Motherwell visit Dingwall on Saturday, then they can finish the job off against their rivals St Johnstone in Perth next week, and set-up a party atmosphere against Aberdeen on the final day of the season.
The play-offs are a tense, nerve-shredding experience and County know this all too well following their dramatic great escape at the expense of Partick Thistle in the play-off final last year.
I noted former County striker Brian Graham’s comments at the weekend about the fallout from missing out on promotion last season as he shed tears while on a coaching course in Edinburgh.
I was not surprised – believe me putting so much into a whole season only for it to come down to a matter of minutes is an emotional experience to test even the most stoic of players.
While Graham is ready for another tilt at promotion in the play-offs, the County players are determined to avoid another post-season rollercoaster.
Can Caley Thistle find consistency when it matters most?
There is no time to feel sorry for themselves as Caley Thistle’s fight for survival now hinges on winning the play-offs.
Duncan Ferguson’s side did what they had to do on Friday by beating Morton 3-1 at Caledonian Stadium, but it was not enough as Queen’s Park picked up all three points against Airdrie in their last game.
It means Links Park in Montrose now awaits Caley Jags tonight, and with Inverness needing to come through four matches to stay in the Championship, it promises to be a fraught fortnight.
Four wins in 18 league matches makes for pretty horrendous viewing if you are a Caley Jags supporter, and 41 goals scored and 40 conceded across 36 matches tells the story of why Inverness are in this predicament.
But, despite a grim season, I still believe they are good enough to come through the play-offs and remain in the second tier.
Montrose will be no pushovers and they have good experienced players such as Michael Gardyne, Sean Dillon and Blair Lyons – and a proven finisher in former Elgin striker Kane Hester.
But if Caley Thistle can play at the level they are capable of, they should win.
It’s a big if, though – inconsistency has been a huge issue at the club all season and they need to be on it from the first whistle of tonight’s first leg at Links Park.
Conversation