Thistle boss Sandy MacLean has refused to be downheartened by recent defeats, and believes that Largs can yet get out of bottom spot with only two games left.

Largs have a friendly on Saturday at home to Kilwinning, 10.45am kick-off at Barrfields Park, and have been drawn against Mayble in the quarter finals of the Ayrshire Weekly Press Cup, on a date still to be arranged.

Speaking after the 3-0 defeat to Auchinleck, the Largs gaffer, who is now one year into his third spell in charge at the Barrfields club, gave the rally cry: “We are not down, and we are not out, and we are not giving up.” The Barrfields side are without a game this Saturday, and as holders of the Ayrshire Weekly Press Cup, they are awaiting the draw for the quarter finals of the trophy.

Manager Sandy MacLean said: “The Auchinleck defeat doesn’t change anything. We always knew when we were handed our last four games that we would have to win our last two at home to Hurlford and Cumnock. It goes to show you that we have played that well in recent weeks that we are coming away disappointed that we didn’t take anything at Talbot and Meadow.

“At Irvine, we played them off the pitch, and for the first half against Pollok and Auchinleck, we were the better side. It is not doom and gloom coming from us. We always knew it was going to be hard, and it would be a long haul to re-shape the team. We are naturally disappointed. If we go down, then I think we are one of the best teams to go down from this league in a long time.

“We are now at home for our last two league games, we are playing well, and hopefully we can get the rub of the green that we need. We are hoping to get maximum points from our last two games, and that others do no take points - that is all we can do at the minute.” Speaking about the Talbot defeat, Sandy said: “We played very well and were fantastic in that first half, but we need to give Auchinleck credit. They came back at us with a vengeance in that second half and took the game by the scruff of the neck. As I said to my side after the match, they are the benchmark for any club that is trying to develop, and that is what we are trying to do. We are disappointed we didn’t get anything out of it, but we are not complaining. We played too deep in the second half and when they brought on Spence, he is as good as anybody else in junior football, and is a wonderful presser and doesn’t let you play at all. We were just giving the ball straight back to them, and it was a very difficult second half. However, their manager Tommy Sloan actually said to us at the end of the game that we played as well as any other team had done at their park this season.” * Largs Thistle are hoping that their Sportsmen’s dinner will be a knockout success after signing up ex-Celtic and Scotland star Murdo MacLeod and former ref John Rowbotham. This year’s Sportsmen’s Dinner will be held on Saturday 10 May at Inverclyde Sports Centre. For details on tickets, contact Don McKillop on 675405.

* Well done to Gillan Sharp, the wife of Largs Thistle President John, who was the winning number for the £1000 prize of Thistle 200 Club on Saturday. The winning number was picked by the referee of the Auchinleck Talbot v Largs Thistle match.