HARD to imagine anywhere in Junior football where the fine margin between success and failure is slimmer than it is at Valefield Park tomorrow.

The famous Ayrshire arena, home to Kilbirnie Ladeside since the Second World War, plays host to a crucial 90 minutes that will ultimately decide whether the Blasties succumb to a relegation fate or win their battle to survive as a Super Premier Division heavyweight.

Even their harshest critics cannot deny Stevie Swift's men have given themselves a fighting chance of staying up following a better than respectable finish to their season that has yielded up 12 precious points and seen them remain undefeated in all but one of their last seven outings.

And these impressive run-in results translate into Kilbirnie now needing a solitary point to ease themselves above Arthurlie on goals difference going into this final day of their league campaign.

Swifty accepts he and his playing charges can expect no favours from opponents Auchinleck Talbot, themselves highly-motivated from knowing anything other than a victory would deal a blow to hopes of a third successive Super Premier championship success as it opens the door for their only viable title challenger Hurlford United to overhaul them in the coming weeks.

Swifty insisted: "Getting a draw or a win against Auchinleck won't necessarily put right all that has gone wrong before and turn our league campaign into a great one but it will certainly feel like it if the final whistle sounds and Kilbirnie Ladeside are guaranteed to be playing Super First Division football next season.

"The guys have earned this last-hurdle lifeline after playing exceptionally well in recent weeks unlike many previous underperforming displays and I believe the difference has come about because players are finally buying into what we are telling them.

"That has not always been the case but there's really no point in conducting an inquest at this moment in time when there are so many bigger fish to fry such as easing ourselves above Arthurlie in the table.

"It's definitely not out-with the realms of possibility even though we are going up against a team of Talbot's stature and the key to us getting a result on the day is to match the great energy and determination that they always seem to possess in spades.

"Three weeks ago we took a 2-0 beating down at Beechwood yet for 45 minutes there was little to choose between the teams but they found another gear and simply wiped the floor with us in the second half.

"Now there is no hiding place and our players have to show the right mentality and crucially have the composure to be brave in possession and play our passing game regardless of the pressure exerted by the Talbot guys.

"Nobody at this club wants to be playing Super First Division football and we have it in our own hands to avoid the drop."

Swifty, no mean defender during his own playing days with Benburb, Irvine Meadow and Pollok reckons a solid backline is essential to Kilbirnie's survival hopes.

He added: "Keeping clean sheets in four of our last seven outings has been a saving grace as has the coaching of Mark Cameron and not least of all big Michael Moore who has given the dressing room a huge lift and instilled a greater confidence among the players.

"Credit also has to go to Simon Marriot whose return after injury coincided with our great run and his keep things simple and take no risks approach has undoubtedly worked the oracle and more than filled the boots of the long term injured Billy Gibson.

"At the other end of the pitch,18-year-old Adam Forde on loan from Stranraer has been nothing short of a revelation and I can only think my old team mate Stevie Aitken must be blessed with great strikers."

Mention of one-time Rangers signing Gibson brought Swifty to reflect on the fact Kilbirnie started away this season with five Junior Scotland players on their books yet only one of them - full-back Chris Malone - is set to feature in tomorrow's showdown.

He mused: "Hard to believe we have struggled with almost half a team of internationalists but truth is Gibson, Chris Wilson and Stevie Meechan have been beset with injuries while Iain Diack hit a dip in form and moved on to Camelon.

"Malone on the other hand has hardly missed a game and continues to be one of our most consistent performers so I cannot speak highly enough of him."

The stakes are every bit as high at Hannah Park in the only other top flight game taking place which pits fourth bottom Shotts Bon Accord - needing a point to guarantee safety - against Hurlford United for whom victory is a must to keep their title aspirations alive.