Appreciative Murray Davidson is asking travelling Perth fans to pump up the volume one final time.
The long-serving midfielder this week highlighted the impressive support from the stands this season, despite a number of sub-standard team performances.
Now one last push is required as St Johnstone, promoted in 2009, attempt to keep their status as a top-flight club.
Saints journey north tonight for the first leg of the Scottish Premiership play-off and are set to be backed by a crowd well in excess of 1000.
“There have been a lot more successful periods through the years but the backing from the fans home and away has been great,” Davidson told the PA.
“I’m sure they will make the most of going up to Inverness. A good few will probably get the train up – I know they like to do that.
“The more fans, the more backing, the better. Over the last four or five months the fans have been brilliant.
“It is one last push from everyone. We are all pulling in the same direction. We all want the same thing and that is to stay in the Premiership.”
The beating heart of the Perth support’s atmosphere this season – home and away – has been the Fair City Unity group.
“The players notice it,” Davidson said. “They have the songs and there is a good number of them now.
“They always make a good atmosphere at games and they are always singing. It makes a difference.
“We can see they have put a lot of time and effort into it and all of the players appreciate it.
“Hopefully they turn out in their numbers in the next two games. What they do does not go unnoticed.”
Davidson signed for the Perth club in 2009 alongside Dave Mackay, for what is still heralded as the best piece of business Scottish football has ever seen.
Throughout those years he has never really faced a situation where Saints were in serious danger of dropping out of the top division. Until now.
“This is the first season that has been a proper relegation battle,” he said. “It is new to me but you need to try and thrive in it. You see the prize at the end of these two games.
“We’ve got every confidence we can stay in the league. It is very important. Some people will probably say it is more important than cup finals.
“It is different. In cup finals it is all excitement and you only really have something to gain.
“But this is the first season where it is pretty black and white. We are fighting to stay in the league.
“There is a different type of pressure that comes with that.
“This team has shown over the years that we can deal with big games. We need to do it again.
“You are trying to stay in the league. People’s jobs are on the line. There is no getting away from that.
“But as a player you can’t think of that. You need to try and keep your Premiership status.
“When you sit down and think about it, it is a huge game for lots of obvious reasons that I don’t need to go into.
“There have been cup finals, European games but this is a completely different pressure. Everyone knows it’s a big game.
“We need to do the positives from periods this season over two games and make sure we are still a Premiership team.”
Opponents Inverness have come through two play-off rounds to have a crack at returning to the Premiership.
Managed by Billy Dodds, the Highlanders first defeated Partick Thistle before edging Arbroath on penalties last week – despite finishing the second leg with nine men.
Davidson said: “You saw the season Arbroath had. But Inverness beat them over two legs and even went down to nine men.
“They beat Partick Thistle who were ending the season well. So Inverness clearly have something.
“From the times I have seen them, I have been impressed. They have a good mix of youth and a few experienced ones, like Kirk Broadfoot and Billy Mckay.
“There are older heads who have played at the top level.
“It is going to be a tough game and we’re going to need to be at our best. It’s over two legs and anything can happen. It’s up to us now.
“It will be 11 versus 11. They may have had a lot of games, but they have had a full week to prepare. All we can do is concentrate on ourselves.
“In any game it is important you stamp your authority early doors. We’ve had a good week of training and we all know what we need to do.
“We want to start the game well and bring a positive result back to Perth. But it’s not going to be easy. We certainly do not think it is going to be easy.”
The second leg arrives in Perth on Monday night.
“The training will be very light in between,” Davidson said. "Friday to Monday is a quick turnaround and I was surprised.
“But it is the same for both teams. Our only aim at the moment is to get a positive result in Inverness.
“Then Monday will take care of itself once it’s here.”
Also taking care of itself in time will be Davidson’s future. He insists there is no time to think about that just now.
“It would not be right of me going asking about myself,” he said. “Everyone is in the same boat.
“It’s about staying in the Premiership. It would be selfish if I was trying to find out anything about myself.
“Whatever happens with me after will take care of itself. Right now, there is only one aim and that is the two games coming up.”
