GARY TEALE today set St Mirren a 12-point target to resurrect their top six SPL dream.

The Buddies have five games left until the split and start their final furlong at Dundee tonight before hosting Dundee United on Saturday.

That Tayside double is then followed by a home visit from Celtic and away-day missions at Kilmarnock and Motherwell, completing their pre-split sequence.

However, former Scotland star Teale is under no illusion as to how tough it will be to get the better of a Dark Blues side galvanised by the arrival of former Dens Park star John Brown in their managerial hot seat.

The Buddies wing ace said: "We are seven points off the top six pace and we have a game in hand with five games left to play until the split.

"So I would say that we probably need around 12 points from our last 15 available if we want to haul ourselves back into contention – and it doesn't matter if we win ugly to do it.

"We have done well to get above Hearts and now we have a chance to go to Dundee and put ourselves all but out of sight of them but also close to within two points of Aberdeen.

"So this is a massive game for us and one we need to win to provide a launchpad into the last run of games before the split.

"Looking at the last five games we don't have it easy with both the Dundee teams, Celtic then Killie and Motherwell.

"But in this league I don't think there is a single Saturday you can forecast how results will go.

"So you take it one game at a time and if we can get a positive result tonight it would be a huge step in the right direction for us."

Although the Buddies were beaten by Celtic in their Scottish Cup quarter-final at the weekend, they were far from battered by the Hoops.

And the Saints star reckons there are plenty of positives from Saturday's defeat to build on up on Tayside.

Teale said: "I think we were good value for a draw and a replay, but that is the way it pans out.

"But the one thing we will have to do better is to defend the set-piece in a much more disciplined fashion. However, we pretty much matched Celtic and we played some good football after the break.

"So if we can maintain that aspect and try and tighten things up and look to keep a clean sheet, then we will give ourselves a chance of taking something from Dens Park."

Teale has no doubt Dundee will prove tough nuts to crack under one-time Rangers nine-in-a-row favourite John Brown.

He said: "I think you have seen from Dundee's first two games under Brown that they have been given an injection of passion and determination by his arrival. "Dundee are a big club with a big home support and the one thing we don't want to do is to give them any encouragement early on.

"But we went up to Dens Park back in August and got a win and we have also beaten them at St Mirren Park.

"So we have shown that we are more than a match for them. But the bottom line for us is that we have to start winning games if we want to make the top six.

"We have a cup final coming up in a fortnight though and every one of the lads knows that he has to deliver if he wants a cup final shirt.

"That process starts tonight at Dens Park so this is a game with plenty of importance attached to it for a variety of reasons."