LOAN star Bruce Anderson has called on Athletic to show their fans that this afternoon's crunch clash with Morton “means something to us”.

And he insists that they must focus on securing a victory that would keep them clear of the bottom two places after their “lacklustre” showing in losing to Queen of the South.

While that result ended any faint hope they had of catching Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the fourth and final Premiership play-off spot, it has left them just three points ahead of ninth-placed Alloa Athletic with two games to go.

A run of five defeats in six games, with just a solitary point gained at Partick Thistle during that time, means that Dunfermline are not mathematically safe and Anderson, who has hit five goals since arriving from Aberdeen in January, says they need to find a big performance this weekend.

“We need to get into the mindset that we don’t want to be down there with the other teams fighting for their lives,” he told Press Sport.

“We want to be as far up the table as we can and, on Saturday, we need to go out, put a performance on for the fans and hopefully get that three points.

“I think we’ve got to look forward. I don’t know about the other players, but I like to look forward; I think that as soon as you start looking over your shoulder, that’s when you start getting a bit nervous and games don’t quite go your way.

“The manager’s also said we’ll look forward and not behind us, and that’s the way we’ll do it.

“We need the three points so we’ve got to have a bit of self-pride now and show the fans it means something to us.”

Defeat at Palmerston, coupled with Partick Thistle’s win at Ayr United on Tuesday, means that just six points separate fifth-placed Pars from bottom side Falkirk, having been contenders for fourth spot following five successive wins in February and March.

Dunfermline struggled to impose themselves against the Doonhamers, and Anderson continued: “I don’t think we started the game right.

“I think you could tell from the off we weren’t at it but we’ve got two massive games and we can only look forward to them, focus on them and make sure we get six points.

“There’s been a lot of injuries, and the team’s been changing a lot, but I just think they were maybe fighting for their lives and wanted it more. We need to go into every game wanting to win.

“I think we were a wee bit lacklustre to be honest, maybe going through the motions a wee bit, and we’re going to look to put that right on Saturday.

“When you see our squad of players, we should be winning more games than not, so that’s the disappointing thing. I think that’s why the boys were a wee bit gutted after the game that that’s the way we lost the game.”

If they are successful in avoiding any end-of-season dramas, the ’Ton tussle will be Anderson’s final appearance at East End before returning to his parent club for next season, and he added: “I came here trying to help get the boys into the promotion places.

“Unfortunately, we’ve not managed to do that, but I’m happy to play week-in, week-out and get the boys as high up the table as I can.

“I know I’ve only been here four months but already I can feel the benefits of coming here and playing every week. It’s what I wanted to do.”