St Mirren boss Stephen Robinson has urged the club's fans to get out in numbers on Sunday and back the struggling team as they aim to reach Hampden again.
The Paisley side enjoyed success this season with their Premier Sports Cup triumph but are deep in a Premiership relegation battle and without a win in five games prior to their home Scottish Cup quarter-final against Partick Thistle – live on BBC Scotland.
The ambitious Championship club have already sold out their 1,600 ticket allocation and St Mirren have warned Thistle supporters that any who attempt to infiltrate the home stands will be ejected. Robinson wants the visitors outnumbered and outsung.
He said: "Partick will fill the away end. We need our fans to fill the ground.
"They can be an extra man for us. They've been an incredible support to me and the players throughout the four years. This is when we need them.
"This is when you really, really need your fans. This is when it's harder because you're not winning games. It's easy to be a fan when you get to the cup finals.
"The expectation is massive now. Not met by the resources, but it's been met by the players. We'll try and meet that again. We'll try and work our way through that.
"The group of players have given the fan base something they've not had in a generation, and consistently over four years.
"Now is the time for the fans, and the vast majority of them have been absolutely brilliant with us, to really get behind this group of players and try and drive us into the semi-final."
And the manager is looking for encouragement and positive backing to help reverse the current run of form.
"In any job, getting told you're not very good doesn't really inspire you and that's difficult," he said.
"Everybody's got their right to an opinion, of course, but we have to remember what this group of players have given us. Consistently, not a one-off.
"The fans have given exactly the same back to us and, when everyone comes together and supports through thick and thin, then we can defy the odds."
