Determined Elgin City manager Gavin Price insists everyone at the club is up for the fight to help drive the team away from the lower reaches of League Two.
Just two league wins since New Year has seen City slump from strong promotion play-off contenders down to eighth place.
The Moray team sit just three points ahead of rock-bottom Albion Rovers and two clear of Bonnyrigg Rose, although they have two games in hand over both chasers.
Elgin are now gearing up for back-to-back games against high-flying leaders Stirling Albion, starting at home on Saturday, before a trip to Forthbank on Tuesday.
Darren Young’s Binos have not lost since December 3, and are 12 successive games without defeat.
They sit two points clear of Dumbarton with a game to spare at the summit after the Sons slipped to a 1-0 defeat against Forfar on Wednesday.
Elgin boss Price is convinced his players are determined to show onlookers they are better than their league position suggests in the weeks ahead, and said: “April is a big month for us. It’s a crucial time, but I’ve been buoyed by the way the players have trained this week.
“The boys are all up for the fight and I’m personally looking forward to it.
“The league shows we are in eighth position. That’s the reality.
“We have got to hopefully prove some people wrong and that is a motivation in itself.
“I know the players are good enough to get it right and we have to do it – and do it fast.
“It’s hard when you are in the kind of streak that we’re in, but it can be easily fixed. There’s no getting away from it, the way to fix it is by working hard.
“We have got to all dig in and the levels need to be better in all aspects of the game. I’m sure we’ll get that.
“We’ve had dips in the past and recovered from it. This is undoubtedly one of the biggest ones, but we have to fight through it – from the staff to the players.”
Fans’ backing can help City’s cause v Stirling
Having beaten Dumbarton on their own patch in late February, Price has no doubt his players have enough about them to cause Stirling problems.
He said: “I’m well aware of what we can do against the top teams.
“We have shown that as well in cup competitions over the years and in the league, so I feel we have a chance of winning against any team in the league, but we also have a chance of losing against any team in the league.
“It depends on how we perform on the day and we have got to get it right over the next few weeks.
“We really need the supporters behind us as well. If we can get that backing from everyone, we’re determined to get us out of the situation we’re in.
“The only way to do that is with togetherness within the whole club and with hard work and showing it on the park. We have to do our talking on the park now.”
Centre-half Ross Draper misses out this weekend through suspension, but Price hopes to name an otherwise full-strength squad for Saturday.
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