Ian Murray reckons a win over Cove on Saturday would open up the League One title race for more than just his Diamonds.
Murray's men trail the league leaders by seven-points as they head into a top of the table clash at Balmoral Stadium.
But third-place Montrose are just one point off the Diamonds and Murray says a win for his side would be good for the league.
Murray, whose side missed the chance to close the gap on Cove when they drew with fourth-place Queen's Park on Saturday, said: "It's a top of the table clash and I'm really looking forward to it.
"If somebody said that these two teams would be in the top two at the start of the season, especially after the Montrose debacle on the opening day of the season when Cove didn't get off to a great start either, I think people would have been scratching their heads.
"But that's what it is.
"If we win it opens the league up for everybody again - and that's our aim.
"It is frustrating where we are but the gap is there because Cove have done remarkably well to create it.
"It is up to us to close it and we've just got to look after ourselves, it's as simple as that.
"We'll just go up there and try to win the game."
Murray's men are unbeaten in their last seven league outings and he says his side are showing the kind of form that would normally be enough to put them on course to win the league.
But with Cove on a 13-game unbeaten - with nine wins in their last 10 - they've outdone them so far.
Cove have come out on top in the previous two meetings between this side this season as well.
So far this season, Paul Hartley’s Cove side have won both meetings with a 1-0 win at Balmoral Stadium in September, followed by a 2-0 victory at New Broomfield in November.
And Murray added: "We go up there in good spirits because we are on a decent run.
"Two defeats in 10 games is normally league-winning form, but at the moment Cove are doing really well so I think it will be a good game.
"The last two against them have been really cagey affairs, really nervy for the players, but if we go out there on a good pitch, play our football, we'll hopefully come out of it with a victory.
"They've nicked it off us a bit this season. But that's football, it's swings and roundabouts.
"We nicked the play-offs off them last season as well, so that's what happens sometimes.
"I really like Cove, they are a good side and showed how good they are at Easter Road [in a late 1-0 defeat to Hibs] in the cup the other week so it's a tough one for us."
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