GOALKEEPER Jamie McGowan believes playing in the final game of last season can work in his favour — because his performance will be fresh in the mind of manager Jim Duffy.

McGowan put in a solid shift against Dundee United in the second-leg of the Premiership play-offs at Tannadice which — despite ending in a 3-0 victory for the Tangerines — provided the young stopper with enough confidence to know he has what it takes to make it at this level for Ton.

And he hopes his impressive showing will stay in Duffy’s thoughts as the new season creeps just around the corner.

He told the Tele: “I actually said to my dad after the game that it’s just a shame the season’s over now. I wish we had another game next week so I could go and play. 

“He was telling me that it’s probably good to have played on the last game of the season because that’s what you’ll remember for the summer — you’ll have that feeling for the month or so that we’re off.

“Hopefully I can build on that for the start of next season, I’d love to come back in and take confidence from the Friday night [against United]. And the Saturday before that even. 

“Getting a bit of game time, making a few saves and hopefully I can build on it.

“That’s what I’ve been waiting on all season, a chance to get in and show what I could do.

“It was brilliant to know that the players in front of me trusted me as well. I got the feeling from them in the dressing room before the game that they were all fine with me playing, they all knew I was going to go in and do the business. 

“That made me feel like ‘right, this is it, I’m ready to go here’.”