TOP-scoring Ayr United striker Jordan Preston says victory at Dunfermline is vital to keep their title hopes alive.

United trail second-placed Peterhead by two points following Saturday's 2-1 home defeat at their hands. And they are 10 adrift of leaders the Pars with a game in hand ahead of the weekend meeting.

The Honest Men defeated the Pars away early in the season but have since lost twice to them at Somerset Park, in the league and Scottish Cup.

Preston, who has scored eight goals, was left frustrated by the weekend showing and said: "We totally dominated the match but found Peterhead very difficult to break down.

"We played some good football and are one of the best if not the best footballing teams in the League but the ball did not drop for us. We must do a better job of breaking down teams who set up defensively against us at home."

Looking ahead he said: "The Dunfermline game is a must-win for us if we want to have any chance of winning the league. Then we will have go win our games in hand and try to get back up to second. We have a good spirit in the squad and a great bunch of boys."

Manager Ian McCall was disappointed with the result and said: "The goals we lost were really poor and the second one in particular. I don't know how the ball went in. It took a bobble and went in off Nicky Devlin's foot.

"When we got into good positions we took heavy a touch, did not deliver the ball well enough or or strike it at goal well enough. We had set-piece chances but just didn't make enough of them. It's seriously disappointing to lose the game."

McCall expects a tough test at East End Park but is relishing the showdown and said: "It will be a really big game at Dunfermline and it's one the players are all looking forward to. It is a test as they are a decent side. We played really well earlier this season there and won. We will be going there to win the game. But although it won't decide anything as there's a long way to go."

The manager is hoping that injury victims Ross Docherty (ankle) and Paddy Boyle (knee) will return to the squad for the trip to Fife, although they will be assessed later in the week."