Fifers working on plans to thwart table-topping Ayr

East Fife welcome table-topping Ayr United to Bayview today.

And manager Darren Young has been working on plans all week to keep out the free-scoring Honest Men.

Young said: “Ayr can score goals for fun and they have an abundance of options to choose from up top.

“Last weekend against Queen’s Park two substitutes came on and scored to turn the game around and that shows the strength in depth that they have.

“I have still to decide exactly how we will go about combating them but I have a few ideas in mind.

“We tried a few things out in training this week and that was a bit mixed. Sometimes we would be strong defensively but not be strong enough in attack. Other times we were great going forward but left ourselves exposed at the back.

“I have looked back at various formations that we have played in other games as well. There are some decisions to make about whether we go very defensively or try something different before I brief the players.”

Young is envious of the potency of the visitors after two points slipped through East Fife’s fingers in the 1-1 draw with Stranraer last weekend.

Young said: “It is annoying as if we took our chances we would be sitting third and not fifth. It is annoying to say that in December but it will be extremely annoying if I am saying it again come May.”

Craig Watson and Pat Slattery have been ruled out, Nathan Flannagan is a major doubt but Chris Kane is available.