Jonny Hayes admits Aberdeen threw away two points against Dundee with a result that’s a hammer blow to their top-six hopes.
The Dons now need to beat Ross County at Pittodrie on Saturday and hope Hibs and Livingston draw at best against Hearts and Motherwell.
If that doesn’t happen they will finish the season in the bottom half of the table for the first time since 2013.
Hayes insists if Aberdeen miss out it will show the league has become stronger in recent years with the possibility of European football a huge carrot for teams.
But the 34-year-old was still bitterly disappointed the Dons allowed victory to slip from their grasp against Dundee.
He said: “Yes, we were 2-1 up with 10 minutes to go.
“We expected pressure from Dundee but we didn’t deal with either set-piece properly and it has cost us two points.
“I said a few weeks ago if we didn’t win our three games we were going to have to rely on other teams.
“That’s the case now. We’ve dropped points and next week we need to win. We need to take care of our own business.
“It’s out of our hands now. It’s disappointing.
“Teams have come back into the Premiership and overall, the league is now tougher than it was 10
years ago.
“There is a lot more competition for top six. Clubs know what it means in terms of vying for European football and the financial rewards.
“Clubs have thought it’s a big incentive to invest and try to do better.
“Aberdeen seven or eight years ago were a bit of a benchmark for Hibs and Hearts coming back into the league. I just think there is more competition now.”
