EAST FIFE will be aiming to halt their inexplicable slide down the third division when they visit Albion Rovers this afternoon.

With fifth-placed Dumbarton holding three games in hand on Dave Baikie’s men in fourth, the Methil side’s promotion hopes are fading fast and another defeat in Coatbridge today would see the one-time league leaders drop out of the playoff picture for the first time since early August.

Last weekend’s 2-1 loss to Arbroath saw their opposition overtake them in the table on that occasion, but the Bayview boss is determined to avoid the same thing happening again.

“Albion are going quite well and they’ve clawed their way back into contention for the league—they’ve vastly improved and it’s a difficult game at a difficult venue for us,” Baikie said.

“We just need to get that break which will help us to get the win which could turn things round for us.

“We’ve been failing to capitalise when we’re on top, as we have been for many of the last few games, but we’ve just got to have that bit more belief about ourselves.

“It’s far from over, though—I was speaking to Arbroath manager John McGlashan the other week and he was saying one week they were second and then dropped to seventh after a few bad results.

“They are back up there challenging again and I just feel that we need to get a win to get us doing the same.”

Form is not in the Fifers’ favour, however, as they have now gone eight games without a win—their last success coming on December 2.

The visitors welcome back goalkeeper John Dodds and Gary Kelly to the squad, although defender Tom Courts is doubtful.

Jamie McGowan and Jason Dair will definitely miss out through injury, while Neil Jablonski will serve his one-match suspension following his sending off at Arbroath last weekend.

Victory for sixth-placed Albion would take them a point above East Fife in the race to secure one of the four playoff berths.

Rovers are still without Bryan Felvus, Scott Friel and keeper Jamie Ewing.

Manager Jim Chapman said, “We have a make or break week coming up and by next Saturday evening we should know if we are bidding for a play-off place or not.”