DISAPPOINTED Ardrossan Winton Rovers boss Bryan Slavin has admitted his side simply can't afford any more slip-ups in their quest for promotion after suffering a first defeat of 2018.

Winton went down to Maybole for a second time this season, losing 2-0 at home, with the South Ayrshire visitors leapfrogging them into second place as a result.

Slavin took charge in September, after predecessor Sandy MacLean left following the first Maybole defeat.

And the Auchinleck Talbot legend has helped turn the team's form around, although admits there is no margin for error as we come closer to the business end of the season.

Three teams will secure automatic promotion to next season's Championship, although the fourth-placed team will face a playoff against the second bottom team in the Super League Premier Division with the winner securing a spot in the junior game's second tier.

Slavin told Sportscene: "It was a very disappointing result in what I felt was a must-win game for us. There was no lack of effort from the players but it was a bad day at the office. We created chances but couldn't take them and that was disappointing.

"It's a tight league but one good thing is that because four or five teams are going well, the points total needed to go up might not be so high as it might have been and some of the other top sides have all still to play each other."

The boss concedes his side will have to hit the ground running in the coming weeks and added: "I think we will have to win our last seven games to have a chance of going up and that as what we have to aim for. Possibly the players thought they were already there before Saturday."

Winton on Saturday make the long trip to East Ayrshire to face Muirkirk and Slavin said: "We have to dust ourselves go down there and make sure we take the three points."

Meanwhile, Beith Juniors on Monday night defeated Renfrew 7-3 in a friendly. Ross "Archie" McPherson netted a hat-trick, with Jamie Cunningham, Ross "Archie" McPherson, Connor McGlinchey and Darren Christie also on target in a one-sided affair.

The Bellsdale Park side will desperately be hoping their Scottish Junior Cup tie away to Jeanfield Swifts will go ahead on Saturday after being called off for the second successive week owing to adverse weather conditions.

A waterlogged pitch also forced Kilbirnie Ladeside's home Scottish Cup clash with Forfar West End to be called off. But drier conditions are predicted, so there could be a good chance of play.