KEVIN MCDONALD has been around long enough to know the loss of their Super Premier status remains a distinct possibility for him and his Beith team mates.

The vastly experienced central defender was speaking in the wake of his side's high scoring 4-4 draw with Cumnock last weekend which entails the Mighty have won just one of their last six league fixtures and are not yet mathematically safe from the dreaded drop.

And matters might have been worse but for a share of the spoils being salvaged through a fightback from 2-4 down sparked by the somewhat contentious dismissal of Cumnock full back Kieron Woods .

His second yellow card for allegedly pulling back an opponent at a corner kick also resulted in a spot kick award, converted by Andy Reid, that set up a rousing finale which saw veteran John Sheridan bag a late leveller against the ten men.

The draw ensures Beith remain in sixth top spot in the standings but Kev insisted, " No team reaching 25 points has automatically gone down in recent years so there's a growing swell of opinion reckons we are safe.

"But I worry about making that presumption considering the same points mark has been achieved by four teams involved in the Super Premier play-off games in four of the last seven seasons.

"In fact Cumnock were on 26 points when they finished third bottom and had to take on Kilwinning Rangers in 2008 so it's probably more accurate to say we are well placed but not quite out of the mire yet."

The 33 year old is predicting another eventful 90 minutes is in store if Beith are assure themselves of dodging the drop on Saturday by claiming a victory away to bottom markers Clydebank ..

He said , "Nobody but nobody wants to get relegated ! It's one of the worst things you can experience as a player so we must be prepared to face a Clydebank side scrapping as if their very lives were on the line.

"Our two remaining fixtures are against our derby rivals Kilbirnie who are similarly battling to get clear of the basement as well as a Hurlford side challenging for the title so there are no easy games in our run-in.

" We have quality players in abundance but having everyone in the right frame of mind is a must because to go into these games and not be as hungry as our opponents is a recipe for disaster."

Meanwhile, it's difficult not to contend that Cumnock's failure to pick up all three points from the cut-throat basement contest has left John McKeown's men hurtling towards the abyss given their remaining two league matches are against championship contenders Auchinleck Talbot and Hurlford .

Said the defiant team boss, "The penalty kick decision was a game changer in more ways than one and I'm baffled as to why Kieran was called to account when there are instances of shirt tugging and holding at every level of football that go unpunished.

"But what's done is done and we simply have to retain a bit of pride in the jerseys and focus on trying to win our final two league games.

"Auchinleck will do us no favours on Saturday but playing with the belief that we can still get ourselves clear might do the trick."

The looming prospect of next week's Dyslexia Scottish Junior Cup semi-final joust with Hurlford could see Talbot gaffer use the Townhead Park clash to improve the match fitness of long term injured pair Graham Wilson and Martin McGoldrick.

Elsewhere in the top flight, basement strugglers Kilbirnie Ladeside and Shotts Bon Accord lock horns at Valefield in a clash neither club can afford to lose while there's an intriguing backdrop to Glenafton's hosting the visit of Arthurlie which sees Glens boss Craig McEwan coming up against the Barrhead outfit for the first time since he upped and vacated their manager's chair in mid-January.

Title challenging Hurlford are resigned to going without injured stopper Chris Robertson when facing his former club and current league leaders Irvine Meadow who may have comeback striker Michael Hughes leading their attack in what is sure to be a tense Blair Park showdown.

Petershill supporters are keeping fingers crossed that in form midfielder Keiran Daw and Danny Irvine recover from injuries as the third in the table Peasy go all out to avenge a 2-0 Portland Park reverse when Troon come through to Springburn .