No margin for error if we are to hold off our title rivals

McGinn admits his Killie side don’t have much wriggle room after too many slips this term

KILMARNOCK midfielder Stephen McGinn insists there is no margin for error at the summit as the Championship heads for the home straight.

The Rugby Park side, who have also played one more game, are two points adrift of leaders Arbroath ahead of today’s visit of promotion rivals Raith Rovers.

The Rugby Park side have wasted the chance to climb to the top since the turn of the year and experienced former St Mirren and Hibs playmaker McGinn admits they must start stringing together a run of victories if they are to leapfrog the Red Lichties.

McGinn said: “At the top of the league there is no room for error. We have let ourselves down at times this season so we’ve left ourselves with not a lot of room for error.

“We have to win as many games as we can between now and the end of the season.

“The team that is top of the league don’t lose many football matches so we know we will have to sustain a good run to beat a good team.”

McGinn admits last week’s victory over Dunfermline – which saw Derek McInnes’ side come from behind with the help of a Kyle Lafferty brace – felt like a huge moment in the context of the season.

That success came following back-to-back losses to

Arbroath and Ayr. McGinn added: “It was significant in terms of the week we had, as a team trying to win the league, three points from a possible nine is not a good week.

“When we lost that goal, when you look back it’s one of those moments when you could go under or dig out a massive win.

“Kyle came in to provide moments of quality. It’s got to be some sort of turning point and the start of a run.”

Raith are seven points adrift of the leaders and manager John McGynn hopes his players can use last weekend’s Scottish Cup defeat at Celtic

Park as a springboard for a promotion push.

Despite the 4-0 scoreline, Raith were in the game for long spells in Glasgow.

McGlynn said: “We can go to Kilmarnock taking a lot of positives from the Celtic game, playing against a team like that gives you a lift.

“That would be massive if we could start a run. So although we lost the Celtic game we can take confidence from it. We learned a lot from them.

“It’s good for the players individually to play against that quality to see how well they do and ask themselves, “Can I do that?” both as individuals and as a team.

“That’s the type of thing we have to take into the Kilmarnock match.”