SO it is virtually as you were in the scrap to avoid the Ladbrokes League 2 relegation play-off with Cowdenbeath, Clyde and Berwick Rangers all losing on Saturday.

However, with Edinburgh City winning it means that they are now safe.

Cowden are still bottom on 33 points, with Clyde and Berwick on 36, and these two meet on Saturday with the Blue Brazil entertaining league leaders Forfar Athletic.

Clearly not both the Bully Wee and Berwick can win their clash so Cowden’s job is to go out and beat the Loons at Central Park, a result which could take them off the bottom.

The last half hour on Saturday almost saw the Blues take a point from their meeting with Arbroath but they paid for a poor first hour.

Clearly the loss of top scorer Kris Renton, through suspension, handicapped their bid to beat the Lichties and for long spells in the game striker Dale Carrick kept looking for his normal partner.

Manager Gary Locke felt that Renton’s absence did have a big effect on the Fifers’ performance but he also felt that the goals conceded were both avoidable.

He said: “The first-half performance was way below what we had produced in the previous three games and the first goal was a bad one from our point of view.

“It looked to me that there had been a foul on one of our players in the run-up to the free-kick which was awarded in Arbroath’s favour, but by the same token we should have picked up the runner who scored.

“The second took a deflection but again there was space for the lad to get his shot away but after that the lads got right back into the game with Scott Rumsby’s goal and we had a lot of the game in the closing stages.

“Perhaps the chance David Syme had was the sort that you want one of your striker’s to get but at least he worked the ‘keeper and overall we gave one of the best teams in the division a run for their money.”

Looking ahead to this weekend he said: “The ball is still in our court and we have to set our stall out to win on Saturday first and foremost.

“If we can do that we will put pressure on the other teams and ask them questions and take things on to the last day of the league season.

“We will have Kris Renton back which is a major plus for us and hopefully he can get amongst the goals.

“It will be a very difficult game but we have to look to win it and that will be our target.”

One player who will not be available is midfielder Brian Ross who has been released by mutual consent.