TODD LUMSDEN is relieved Albion Rovers' play-off dreams are not dead and buried after their 1-0 defeat to Elgin on Wednesday night.
Michael O'Byrne saw red in the first half at Borough Briggs before Paul Millar netted a late winner for Ross Jack's side to put them in pole position heading into the second leg this weekend.
The Coatbridge side still have a fighting chance of emerging victorious and moving one step closer to retaining their place in the Irn-Bru Second Division next season, but Lumsden admits it could easily have been a different story in the play-off clash.
He said: "It is not the result we were looking for before the game but with the way it panned out, it was a decent result for us in the end.
"We had a man sent off early, but the players stuck together and showed a lot of fight when we had 10 men and that is a credit to them.
"It is in Elgin's favour and it is their tie to lose now.
"They will come down as favourites and with a one-goal advantage, but we know what we need to do.
"We will approach Saturday in the same manner as we always do.
"Of course, if we can keep 11 men on the park then that would help us.
"Game plans go out the window when you get a man sent off. It is something we had to deal with on Wednesday and I thought we dealt with it reasonably well.
"We know where we are and what we need to do and we are looking to win the game."