East Kilbride boss Kevin Rutkiewicz admits this week could be season-defining for them as they face two huge games in the Lowland League.
Kilby travel to East Stirling tonight (Wednesday) before hosting Dalbeattie Star, as they bid to get themselves back in the title race.
The former Aberdeen and St Johnstone star knows it’s going to take something special to get them up from sixth place in the table, but says everybody knows what they need to do.
Rutkiewicz said: “I’m not going to shy away from it, we can’t talk it down. This is a big week, it could be a defining week for us, so we can’t hide from that pressure or pretend it’s not there.
“But we’re in complete control of how that week finishes, so we need to be positive, continue to do what we do.
“I’m sure we’re definitely capable of winning the game on Wednesday night, but we have to put our best foot forward.
“Clubs have their own agendas at the minute and ours is to try and keep ourselves in a race for this title – and three points is a must if we want to do that.”
Rutkiewicz added: “How big is this? I think it’s massive. The good thing about now is I don’t think there are any blurry lines for us at the minute – absolute clarity is there.
“We have to win games, if we want to make a charge, if you like. If we want to be involved in the top end of this league, we have to win games.
“Sometimes when you’re in title races or at the top end or whatever, there are all different factors that come into it, like what other teams are doing.
“But for us there is absolute clarity – we have to go with the mentality that we need to win every game, and see where it takes us.”
Kilby prepared for this week’s games with a 5-1 South Challenge Cup fourth round win over Rossvale, and Rutkiewicz wants to take that into East Stirling tonight.
He said: “All focus after the game on Saturday was switched to East Stirling, it’s such a big game for us.
“Hopefully the preparation is good and now it’s getting those finer details to the boys, in terms of what we want to bring, and how we go about beating a team that made life very difficult for us earlier on in the season.
“The aim is to get three points on Wednesday night and I don’t care how they come – by hook or by crook. We need three points – but so do East Stirling.”
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