Ayr United have five games to save their season

Apr 16 2010 by Mike WIlson, Ayrshire Post (main ed)

ANXIOUS Ayr United have only five games to save their season or face a relegation tightrope.

That's the stark reality of an alarming form slump which has brought four straight defeats and piled on the heat in death row.

Boss Brian Reid admits he's mystified by the turnaround in fortunes after Ayr went eight games unbeaten and were one of the country's form teams.

But he slammed the players for 'going through the motions' in the 2-1 defeat by Dunfermline which could have been much heavier.

Now he could ring changes for Saturday's trip to Partick who have lost six of their last seven games.

Martyn Campbell misses out through suspension but skipper Andy Aitken was due to train on Wednesday after a groin injury and has ‘half a chance’ of making it.

On loan Kilmarnock striker Danny McKay is also back in training and could make the bench.

Willie Easton made his comeback for the reserves at East Stirling on Tuesday evening.

And Rocky Visconte played in a bounce game for Hearts on Tuesday and is pushing hard for a start.

Reid said: "It was an unacceptable performance against Dunfermline which we have to rectify very quickly or we'll find ourselves in major trouble.

"We're running out of games and at the moment we're gift wrapping results. We are now looking very vulnerable and struggling to beat anyone.

"The worst thing about Saturday was how easy we made it for Dunfermline who didn’t have to get out of second gear. We need to buck up our ideas and start showing much more fight."

Thistle are in no man’s land in midtable after their early season promotion push died a death. But reports suggested they played well in their 1-0 defeat by Dundee last weekend.

Reid warns: “Thistle are one of the better teams in the league so I don’t read anything into their recent results.

“When we were on an eight game unbeaten run, it looked like no team could beat us. Now we don’t look as if we could beat anyone.

“I can’t fathom how we can go from such highs to lows in so short a space of a time.

“Last weekend we were down to only 16 players but hopefully I will have more options available for Firhill because we need to turn things around quickly.”