Arthurlie manager Colin Reilly believes Saturday’s late show against Kilwinning Rangers proves how much belief there is in the home dressing room at Dunterlie Park.

The Barrhead outfit netted a last-minute winner to give their bid to beat the drop a massive boost.

Gary Carroll had put the home team ahead and was then given the chance to double their lead from the penalty spot, only to fire the ball over the crossbar from 12 yards.

After the interval, Ally McColm got Kilwinning back on level terms.

Michael MacNeil thought he had won it for Arthurlie but was left disappointed as the referee blew for a free-kick to the visitors.

It looked like it would be a frustrating afternoon for the Dunterlie faithful until substitute Gary Smith bundled the ball home in the 90th minute to secure all three points.

The result leaves Arthurlie two points clear of the Premier Division relegation zone, with three games in hand over nearest challengers Petershill.

However, Reilly insists there is still work to be done.

He told Barrhead Sport: “It was a must-win game for us to try and get out of the position we were in.

“After getting two goals chopped off and missing a penalty, to get the winner in the last minute was critical. It felt magic at the time.

“When you get little decisions going against you, you start having concerns that it’s not going to be your day but there’s a lot of belief in the dressing room and the boys kept going, which was really pleasing.

“It was a big result for everyone connected with the club but we aren’t out of it yet and we need to go and build on it.”

Arthurlie now have a double-header against Auchinleck Talbot, starting at Dunterlie on Wednesday night.

And, although the Ayrshire side haven't been as dominant this season compared to recent campaigns, Reilly knows his troops are still in for a difficult time.

He added: “You still have to respect them. They are the one team that are always up towards the top, so we need to give them that respect.

"It’s a challenge but one that we are looking forward to.”

Kick-off on Wednesday is at 6.45pm, while Saturday's match at Beechwood Park starts at 2pm.