Cairns turns up the heat on his Currie

Currie coach Ben Cairns has left his men in no doubt that they must raise their performance levels if they are to secure the BT Premiership win over Gala at Malleny Park tomorrow (kick-off 3pm) that would set up a home play-off against title holders Heriot's.

Demands: Ben Cairns

Cairns was disappointed with the effort for lengthy spells during the BT Cup exit against Melrose last weekend. And he knows from personal experience how desperate the Borderers will be to secure a victory that moves them out of the bottom two.

“There has been some tough talk this week and it’s now about putting a much improved shift in,” he said. “There is huge amounts at stake for both teams with Gala needing the win to avoid the relegation play off. Having been in a similar position ourselves a couple of years ago, we know what that kind of desperation can do for a teams performance levels. We will need to at least match Gala’s hunger if we are to take the points and earn ourselves a home semi-final in the play-offs.”

Watsonians have led BT National Division One for much of the season and could move to within a point of securing the title if they take a bonus point win from the trip to face Kelso and closest challengers Marr finish empty handed at home to a Jed-Forest side not yet out of the reckoning for the promotion/relegation play-off. That would leave Sonians 15 points clear of the Ayrshiremen who would still have three games to play, but with a vastly inferior points difference.

In the lower half of the table, Musselburgh will guarantee survival if they win at Peebles. Meanwhile, Edinburgh Accies and Stewart’s Melville travel to face Howe of Fife and Aberdeen Grammar respectively.

In Division Two, Lasswade have only two matches to play and must win both to draw clear of third bottom spot, with Whitecraigs, the side immediately below them, having five games in hand. Fifth-placed Preston Lodge travel to meet third-placed Aberdeenshire.

Mathematically, Haddington are not yet out of the Division Three promotion race although their challenge could be ended if they fail to win at Livingston and results elsewhere go against them. The bottom seven sides in the table are all still involved in a fight to avoid relegation, among them RHC Cougars who face the long haul to take on Orkney.