DEJECTED Ayr United skipper Nicky Devlin and manager Ian McCall are both targeting promotion success through the playoffs after Saturday's defeat against leaders Dunfermline Athletic all but ended the Honest Men's title hopes.

The 2-0 home loss left United a distant 14 points behind the Pars and three adrift of second-placed Peterhead, their most likely opponents in the playoffs.

Devlin was unhappy with his team's showing just four days after they defeated Stenhousemuir 4-1 and said: "It was a really disappointing result and I don't think we showed up on Saturday - we didn't play well. The first goal was a poor one to lose as we were caught on the counter-attack although the second was a moment of brilliance and there was nothing we could do that.

"We had won two of our previous three games and we played really well last midweek and scoring goals at Somerset Park hasn't been much of a problem this season. It's going to be very difficult now for us to catch Dunfermline who are on a very good run.

However the skipper is hoping his side can bounce back as they gear up for the final seven league games of the season with a place in the promotion playoffs looking a virtual certainty.

United visit struggling Forfar Athletic on Saturday and Devlin said: "At the start of the season we set out to achieve promotion and that is still our aim. We want to be a Championship club next season and that can be achieved by winning the league or the playoffs. Everyone is fighting for something in the league but we will be looking for a win on Saturday and want to win the rest of our games."

Manager Ian McCall was also disappointed with the result and said: "I didn't feel we played well and Dunfermline deserved their victory. It will be very difficult for us to win the league now- Dunfermline would have to suffer a dramatic collapse and I can't see that happen

"But we have four or five guys not long back from injury and have have a lot of games, although I am not making excuses. in the next few weeks we should see the likes of Nicky Docherty, Jamie Adams and Paddy Boyle really get their sharpness back and that will help us.

"We must look to take three points at Forfar and aim to win the rest of our league games then look forward to the playoffs and hope to get promotion. The club have come a along way when you consider the position we were in a year ago.