Gary Mackay: Let's not settle for third with second place in our sights

Having waited a wee while to say it, I now feel we are ready to start focusing on what's going on above us, particularly where Rangers are concerned. We've had a really concentrated effort to get ourselves clear in third, but now I would say the challenge is to just increase that a wee bit more and push on and try to put a bit of pressure on the top two. I know Rangers are still two points ahead of us with two games in hand, but they've still got a lot of hard games to play so we've just got to stay on their coat-tails.

The belief the team are showing and that stubbornness to grind out victories late on in games is stopping Celtic and Rangers from pulling away from Hearts and that's after two defeats against those clubs that many predicted would have taken the wind out of our sails. But we're still hanging in there. I really hope the players believe they can finish higher than third and judging by the drive they've shown over the past few months I would think that would be the case.

We kept our momentum going with Saturday's win over Dundee United and although it was far from our best performance of the season, it was still a massive win. Hearts are playing with the type of belief at the moment that means they can win games when not playing at their best and they showed that again at the weekend. Towards the end we'd probably have settled for a point but then all the late drama went in our favour. We owed plenty to our goalkeeper who did tremendously well to save the penalty and that's not the first time we've said that this season.

To have scored a late goal ourselves and then lose a goal at the death would have been devastating but Marian Kello has gone low down to make a really superb save. That victory, coupled with Rangers' defeat yesterday, means that, with Rangers not playing till Sunday, we now have a chance to move into second place for 24 hours if we can win at Aberdeen. That would be really good psychologically for Hearts and would put a wee bit pressure on a Rangers team who were well beaten against Celtic and still have a really hectic schedule of games ahead.

They are also missing Lee McCulloch, who is one of the players who gives them a real drive. People will argue that Rangers would still have games in hand, but there's also the train of thought that it's better to have points in the bag. It would give the whole team a lift if they were able to take over second place come Saturday afternoon.

Aberdeen have just scored five goals so it will obviously be a hard game and the fact it's an early kick-off also impacts on preparation a little bit, depending on whether or not the team go up on Friday and stay overnight. We're going to be without Ian Black and Ruben Palazuelos (after his red card) next week and I would think Lee Wallace will be struggling with his injury.

These are not players you would choose to leave out, but their absence gives the manager a chance to freshen the side up again, like he's had to do on several occasions throughout this incredible run of form. The starting XI has changed on several occasions and it's testament to the strength of the squad that we've still been able to maintain such consistency. It shows that the spirit at the club is right because the players who are coming into the side won't perform well unless there's a real bond in the squad.

Right now everything seems right about Hearts. I'd also like to give a special mention to those who are organising the Hearts Club Draw. It's another excellent initiative by the club which helps earn funds for our youth development.