STEVIE CRAWFORD has admitted there is “no room for error” in Dunfermline’s play-off fight and says they can’t afford to dwell on what has gone before.

Following Tuesday night’s scoreless draw with Dundee, the Pars are a point, and one place, outside the top four with just three matches of a shortened 27-game campaign remaining.

Victory over the third-top Dark Blues, who remain five points clear of Athletic, would have taken Crawford’s men above Inverness Caledonian Thistle ahead of this Saturday’s visit of Queen of the South.

Having never been out of the top four places all season, last month’s derby defeat at Raith Rovers – seven points head of the Pars in second – saw them drop out.

Although a point with Hearts saw them briefly back into fourth, further draws at Ayr, on Saturday, and against Dundee mean they are relying on results elsewhere, as well as their own, to achieve their pre-season target.

Inverness host Dundee on Tuesday in what looks to be a hugely-significant fixture, but Crawford’s side must first find a first win in seven league games against former Dunfermline boss Allan Johnston’s Doonhamers.

“There’s going to be twists and turns, I can assure you of that, over the remaining three games,” he said.

“We’re disappointed – nothing more than that – that we’ve not managed to take three points the other night and, for the first time this season, we find we’re relying on results from other places.

“But, if we win the games that we’ve got, then we’ll give ourselves the best opportunity to reach the play-offs.

“After the other night there’s a disappointment that we’re not winning games of football but it’s my responsibility to make sure that that doesn’t fester. I think they’re winnable fixtures.

“I said it after the Raith Rovers game; I think there’s been a positive in terms of what I’ve seen on the training ground, and what I’ve seen in the matches – the Hearts game, Ayr game and Dundee game.The disappointing thing is we’ve drawn all three of those games.

“It’s there, it’s just trying to get it out of us. We got off to a great start to the season and the Achilles heel has been the away form.

“On another night, the result against Dundee maybe wouldn’t be looking as bad as it maybe is at the moment. I’m disappointed we’ve only taken a point – I thought it was a game that we could’ve won – but, as I say, we can’t change it.

“I think it’s three games that are winnable but they’re three very, very tough games. We know what we need to do.”

When asked if the team had to treat the Queens match as must-win, Crawford replied: “I’d be disappointed if I heard my players saying that they’ve never gone into matches to try and win games all season though.

“It’s such a competitive league. There’s no room for error.

“I still think we’re a team that’s got a lot of development in us; some boys haven’t even experienced getting to this stage of a season before, but then we’ve got to collectively learn from that.

“It’s hard to look at the positives on that side because the bigger picture is we want to get into the Premiership, or we want to be in the play-offs fighting at the right end of the league, and that goes with the job at Dunfermline.

“We’re a big club and that’s the responsibility I’ve got on my shoulders.

“After a really good start to the season, we’re going through a sticky spell just now, but what do you do? Do you feel sorry for yourself or do you look at the next game?

“That’s all you can do in football; you look at the next game, you say we want to take all three points, and then we’ll address it from there.”

Saturday’s match starts at noon.