WITH just three games to go this season, the battle to avoid the play-off place is tighter than ever and we are looking to take a big step in the right direction with a win over Hibernian this weekend.

It is a strange situation that the Hibees find themselves in just now.

They are such a big club, but they are in this battle and it just goes to show you how difficult this league is.

Everyone is capable of beating everyone else, and Hibs have got themselves into a situation where they can't seem to buy a win and they have been dragged right into it.

With only a couple of points between the five teams and three games still to go, nobody can be certain of how things will unfold between now and the end of the season.

I think it will go right down to the last game and, hopefully, we won't have to be involved and can stand back and watch the other teams fight it out.

There is a chance that it could even go down to goal difference to decide who finishes in eleventh place.

And that just shows you how important it is to keep things tight.

Yes, we want the players to play their game but we know, especially away from home, and at this stage of the season, that any point is a good point.

Saturday is another massive game and we know what is at stake.

Hibs will be hoping that one win does it for them and they can kick on from there and be safe. But we know ourselves that if we can get a result, which we are more than capable of doing, then it does put us in a better position.

We can only worry about ourselves and we have to go to Easter Road and make sure we start right.

It is a great stadium and I am sure there will be a good atmosphere with the Thistle fans who will head through.

We have to be at it from the start and keep their fans quiet.

We played really well through there earlier on in the season and, like so many games this year, it was one that we should have won.

We scored a really good goal through Kris Doolan, but couldn't quite hold on as Hibs equalised in the last minute to deny us all three points.

It was a disappointing day for us, but it showed you what Hibs are about.

The one thing we can be sure of is that Terry Butcher and Maurice Malpas will have them well fired up.

I was at the Edinburgh derby last Sunday and our manager Alan Archibald was there doing it for BT Sport, so we both got a look at Hibs and know what to expect and what to work on.

At the end of the day, and with what is at stake, it is about who copes best.

In the last two games against Kilmarnock and St Mirren, the boys have handled the pressure really well.

We have asked them to be brave and to still play our game.

It was important that we got off to a good start and took points from the first couple of games and we have done that with a win and a draw from Killie and St Mirren.

We have started the post-split fixtures quite well, but other teams are picking up points and it is even tighter than it was a couple of weeks ago. It just takes one slip up to cost you.

We are in a good position and we have to go into the Hibs game with confidence.

We have done well away from home this season so hopefully we can put in another good performance and get what would be a huge three points.