A trip to New Douglas Park to face Hamilton might not possess the glamour of a visit from Celtic, but there is little doubt which game carries greater significance for Partick Thistle.
A defeat in Lanarkshire today would see Hamilton leapfrog the Firhill side, but with eleventh-placed Kilmarnock hosting Celtic, a win could potentially leave them eight points clear of the relegation play-off spot.
It would also propel Alan Archibald’s men towards the top-six with three games remaining before the split, but according to in-form winger David Amoo, their concentration is fully focused on the challenge at hand this afternoon.
“I’d probably say this is the most important game out of the last few we’ve had,” he said.
“All the games are important, but this is definitely more so. Fingers crossed we can get a good result.
“We’ve been taking it one game at a time, but looking at the next three games then they’re definitely going to be tough.
“When you play Aberdeen, Hearts or Celtic they are tough games but you’re probably not expected to win.
“We might not be expected to win the next three, but we’ve definitely got to put ourselves in a good position because it’s really tight down there.
“There’s definitely more pressure on these games. When you play against Celtic there isn’t as much pressure as there will be on us when we play Hamilton.
“We definitely need some points on the board.”
Amoo has been pleasantly surprised by the quality of Scottish football since his arrival from Carlisle United in the summer, and in his opinion, the split adds another element of excitement.
“It’s a very competitive league from the top down,” he said.
“Just look at Dundee United, we’ve played them a few times and they’re a really good team as well even though they’re at the bottom.
“Every team has got something to play for, and the race for the top six is extremely tight.
“The league probably doesn’t get the credit that he deserves.
“I knew about the split vaguely before I came here. I’d say it’s definitely different, I guess there aren’t many leagues like that, and I reckon it works for the Scottish game.
“It makes it more exciting, because Aberdeen can still play Celtic and take points from them to potentially win the league, so there’s a lot to play for still.
“Even if a team is adrift at the bottom they can fight their way back, so it makes it more entertaining for the fans.
“It’s possible for us to get into that top six, but that’s a mountain to climb and a lot of games to win.
“We’ll look at Hamilton and hopefully we’ll do alright, then we’ve got the international break to recharge our batteries a bit, then we’ll go again.”
If Amoo can keep up his form of recent matches, particularly in his display against Aberdeen when he gave Andy Considine a torrid time, then he hopes to be rewarded with an extended stay in Maryhill.
He said: “My contract is up in the summer, so we’ll see how it goes. There are still a lot of games and I’m playing to impress.
“I’m enjoying it, the players and staff have been great with me so hopefully I can work hard and do enough.
“In an ideal world I’ll get a few goals and we’ll be safe, but I’ll definitely be working hard and hopefully they will appreciate what I do.
“It maybe took me a little bit longer than most to get my feet wet, but in the last few months I’ve really settled in I think.”
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