‘Bouncebackability’ is the key for Queens this weekend according to manager Jim McIntyre.
The Palmerston outfit have lost two games in the space of four days but the Doonhamers boss believes this Saturday against Dumbarton can kickstart his side’s final push for the play-offs.
He said: “We’ve not lost three in a row in the league this year and that is completely down to the bouncebackability we have in the team – we always respond well after setbacks.
“After the past week, we will need to be strong and show a lot of character as we know that Dumbarton are a free-scoring side who love to play open football.
“We know that they’ll come out and attack us but they’ll be fully aware that we’ll go out to attack them too as we’ve seen in the other games this season.
“It’s important for us that we get back to doing all the right things as I feel like we’ve not done the ugly side of the game right recently – by that I mean clearing our lines, picking the right passes as well as our movement on and off the ball.
“If we get back to doing that as well as keeping up everything else we’ve been doing, it stands us in a good position for the last three huge games.”
With three huge games to go McIntyre accepted that this game was Queens’ most important one of the season.
However, that will all change going in to the following game and then the game after – each game becomes more important than the last.
The gaffer also knows there is no definitive points tally that can secure play-off football for the Doonhamers.
He said: “It is the biggest game of the season, absolutely. But the game before was the most important one and the next game will be the biggest. That’s how it works at this time of the season.
“Right now though, we’re completely focused on Dumbarton and we’ve had a little bit of misfortune recently and sometimes it feels like everything goes against you, but we’ll dust ourselves off and hopefully get the job done.
“There is no amount of points you could say would get you in to the play-offs now, you have to take each game on its own and play each team on their own merits.
“You can’t predict the results in this league and we’ve seen that recently so there’s still a lot of football to be played and with three games to go you can’t take anything for granted.
“The last time we played Dumbarton we won 3-1 but that game could easily have had more goals in it for both sides and I’m sure it’ll be very similar tomorrow.”
Queens and Dumbarton sit level on 48 points with McIntyre’s men in fourth due to a superior goal difference.
This Saturday’s SPFL Championship game is scheduled to kick off at 3pm at the Bet Butler stadium.