Thistle are fighting for their lives as underdogs in the promotion race, and will keep working hard until the very last kick of the ball of this season.

That is the message from manager Bryan Slavin as Largs are looking for three points against Winton Rovers on Wednesday evening, 6.45pm kick-off at Barrfields Park.

It's also the return of former Thistle boss Sandy MacLean in the away dug-out to provide added spice to a must-win encounter as Largs aim to keep the heat on in the promotion battle while Winton are battling against relegation.

Bryan said: "I don't have any doubt if I was in Sandy's position I would be desperate to win, and Winton have shown shoots of recovery in terms of their 4-0 victory at Clydebank, although they lost at the weekend.

"I'd like to think our players, the vast majority of whom were signed by Sandy, have a point to prove."

Largs are still top of the table, but second placed Kilwinning recorded a 5-2 win over Thistle last Wednesday in a match which Bryan described as a 'debacle' after his controversial red card.

Thistle had been looking strong, leading 2-0, but the player boss's dismissal resulted in a ragged Thistle shipping in five goals against a rejuvenated Buffs.

But Bryan has been buoyed by the bullish performance against Clydebank and believes it could set the standard for the rest of the season.

He said: "Coming away from Clydebank, I am a bit disappointed we never came away with the three points, but I have to be pleased that it was a really good performance against a decent team away from home, and we have stopped the rot to an extent, and it gets us closer to where we want to be

"It is a minor step forward, but I felt we could have got three points.

"We reacted so well after Wednesday night's debacle at Kilwinning, and the boys are working hard, and we haven't given up by any matter of the imagination, and we will be going right at it till the final game.

"At 1-1, Graham Muir's chance was on the end of a fantastic move. I hear and read about teams that play great football, but I have yet to see, among the top teams around about us. It is much of a muchness. We have had pockets of play in the last couple of games, and the passage of play for Muiry's chance was great and it is just unfortunate the keeper got his toe to it and managed to flip it over the bar.

"I didn't feel under a lot of pressure at the back, I felt it was ours to win if we nicked a goal."

In relation to the underdogs tag, Bryan said: "Everything has turned on its head, the league is there to be won by Kilwinning, Cumnock or Clydebank. They have plenty of games in hand and it is there's to chuck away. We are the underdogs out of the four teams ,and it is now about us taking one game at a time, focusing on Wednesday night and see where that takes us.

"Clydebank and Cumnock may well be saying that they would rather have the points on the board at this time of the season but as far as I am telling the players we are fighting a rearguard action, we are scraping, battling, and fighting for our lives in terms of promotion.

"After the display against Clydebank, you can see a real hunger among the boys. The best place is to take that mentality that carried us forward so well last season, and it can take us forward again."

* Largs Thistle are heading to Dalmellington on Saturday in the Ayrshire Weekly Press Cup 1st round. It is a 1pm kick-off at Craigmark Burntonians' Station Park. Thistle asked for an earlier kick-off time as they have their Sportsmen's Dinner at Nardini's in Largs on Saturday evening at 7.30pm, with guest speaker Tam Cowan and after dinner speaker Bill Copeland.