Nerves are certain to be jangling around Central Park as the Blue Brazil go into battle with champions Hearts seeking a win that could see them secure their Championship status if bottom two Livingston and Alloa slip up.

Failure to win would set up a huge shoot-out with the Wasps at Recreation Park on the final day of the season to avoid at least a play-off place and although he will be fully focused on sending his side out to pull off a Jambos shock, the Cowden boss admitted he’ll have a keen interest in Alloa’s trip to Hibernian and Livi’s clash at Raith Rovers.

He said, “It is hard to avoid hearing about the results elsewhere and you can’t tell me that nobody involved will be asking how other games are going? There are only two to go so we have to see how Alloa and Livingston are getting on as they can change things that we do in our game.

"If for example we’re sitting tight against Hearts but Livingston and Alloa are winning, then we might have to go for it so it; things can change quickly depending on how other results are going.

“We have to go for it and hope that other results go for us. But Livingston have had a wee pick-me-up lately and I was at Alloa on Saturday and thought they were going to nick it against a Queen of the South team going for the play-offs.

"The opposition have circumstances of their own in these games but those are the bottom are fighting hard for the points. I always said as far back as December that it could go to the last game and it looks like that could happen.

“It’s our own fault though that we’re not more comfortable and had the chance to do that against Livingston. We’ve made it hard for ourselves and if there’s a way to do that, we’ll find it.” If the battle for survival does go to the final day, Nicholl says he can take confidence from his team’s final day heroics in each of the last two seasons when they defeated Hamilton and Dunfermline to retain their Championship place - both away from home.

Games at Central Park however have yielded just three wins and two draws this season, and Nicholl added, “Our away form has been good, especially when you look at the fact there’s Hearts, Rangers, Hibs, Falkirk, Queen of the South - all tough, tough away games.

"Our home form though has probably been the biggest disappointment for me this season and I would like to improve on that on Saturday.”