Malone travels to Glasgow on Sunday to face Partick Thistle knowing both teams have a very good chance of still catching division leaders St Johnstone before the end of the campaign. Between now and May, though, he is convinced everyone will drop points.

“After we lost to Queen of the South last week, some people said our chance was gone, but then we won on Saturday and St Johnstone lost and we are right back in it,” said Malone. “It’s like that because the First Division is so tight — Dunfermline were right up there a few weeks ago and then, after a couple of bad results, are down in the bottom half of the table.

“Everyone has been taking points off everyone else and, if we could go on a run and take maximum points until the end of the season, I would say we would definitely win the league. The way this league is, though, you can’t guarantee doing that, so you just concentrate on the next game and look no further forward.”

And Malone knows Dundee’s next game is a tough one. While, for many, Partick have been ranked the outsiders in the promotion race, he does not see things that way. Like Dundee, he believes they have both the players and the management to go all the way.

“They have good quality players, that’s why they are in second and it is going to be a hard game for us on Sunday.”

Jim Lauchlan looks to have won his battle with knee trouble, while both fellow-defender Craig McKeown and midfielder Colin Cameron may still recover in time to be involved.

Thanks to buses being paid for by the club, the Dark Blues look set to have more than 1000 fans backing them at Firhill and, if that helps bring back three points, the board will consider it money well spent.