Tiger-Cats keep playoff hopes alive with crucial win over Roughriders

Seth Small booted four field goals to lead the Hamilton Tiger-Cats to a crucial 18-14 home win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Friday night at Tim Hortons Field.

Small's 29-yard field goal at 12:43 of the fourth quarter staked Hamilton to its four-point lead. It capped a 71-yard, 14-play drive that took 7:38 off the clock.

Saskatchewan had the ball at its 42-yard line with 2:09 remaining and drove to the Hamilton 45 before Cody Fajardo's third-down pass was incomplete with 1:21 remaining. The Riders got the ball back at their own 23-yard line with 23 seconds to play but Fajardo was intercepted at the Ticats' 26-yard line by Ciante Evans.

"Start the car!"<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CFLGameday?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CFLGameday</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/Ticats?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Ticats</a> <a href="https://t.co/VTQrQdBRlS">pic.twitter.com/VTQrQdBRlS</a>

Hamilton (5-10) remained third in the East Division but moved to within a victory of Saskatchewan (6-10), which is fourth in the West Division. If the Riders end the regular season with more wins than the Ticats, they'll assume the third and final Eastern Conference playoff seed.

Hamilton will face the Calgary Stampeders next week before finishing its regular season with a home-and-home series with the Ottawa Redblacks. Saskatchewan, which has lost five straight games, heads into a bye week before ending its regular season facing the Stamps in a home-and-home.

Kian Schaffer-Baker and Justin McInnis had Saskatchewan's touchdowns. Brett Lauther added the converts.

Dane Evans scored Hamilton's touchdown.

WATCH | Evans scores Ticats' lone TD in win over Riders:

Hamilton appeared to get a safety early in the fourth when Fajardo was called for