SKIPPER Nicky Devlin and manager Ian McCall this week warned Ayr United face a battle to stay in the Championship.

They remained in second bottom spot following Saturday's 2-0 home defeat against a Dunfermline Athletic side who look to be easing towards safety.

Next up is a testing trip to Falkirk Stadium to face fourth-placed Falkirk on Saturday.

Skipper Devlin, just back from injury, was disappointed with the overall display and said: "We put Dunfermline under a bit of pressure in the second half but its not good enough and that result has been coming so we really need to look at ourselves and get ourselves going. We are definitely in the dog fight down the bottom. We must look to finish eighth after today and that will be successful although that wasn't the target before its not all doom and gloom. We know we can turn the form round and we can get a win soon but the sooner we do that the better.

"For the first goal the boy deflected it in but the boy had time to get up and for the second one we were too slow to react and the boy headed into the air and he had enough time to get up and volley it in so it's not good enough"

Looking ahead he said: "It doesn't matter who we play it will be a hard game and you can get three points anywhere so will just have to dust ourselves down and get going. We beat Falkirk in the cup at home and played well at their place but lost two late goals. We beat Falkirk in the cup at home and played well at their place but lost two late goals."

McCall is only too aware of the challenge facing his side and said: "I thought we were good enough to finish in the top half of the table but now are in a dog fight with three or four clubs and we have got to finish seventh or eighth it's as simple as that. I have tried to bring in new strikers but they are going elsewhere. Craig Moore is close to coming back. I don't think there's a lot wrong with the team defensively and in middle and wider area. Devlin was a threat going down the line.. He got in two or three times but there was no-one there to stick the ball in the net. It seems we need 10 to 15 openings to score a goal.

"We were unlucky at Falkirk in September and their manager Peter Houston said we were the better team. Now we must look to get three points."