Lee Bullen vowed his Honest Men won’t be taking Hamilton Accies for granted in Friday night’s live TV cinch Championship clash.
Ayr United could soar six points clear at the top – if they can register a win over the basement boys at the newly renamed ZLX Stadium.
However, United boss Bullen insists his players are acutely aware of the danger Accies possess in the run-up to Friday’s thriller in Lanarkshire.
He admitted: “The game coming up is a potential banana skin.
“When you go top of the league people start to get a bit above their stations.
“Maybe it’s a mental thing, but it can affect players, supporters and coaches.
“It’s like ‘Oh, they’re bottom of the league.’
“But a week ago Hamilton went up to Inverness and won 1-0, so we have to keep our feet on the ground – and Hamilton must be respected.
“We are not going to get ahead of ourselves because you just end up with egg on your face, especially in this league.
“It’s not a foregone conclusion. All we can do is try to take care of business as best we can.”
United go into the game off the back of their 1-1 draw at home to Greenock Morton, a result which keeps the Honest Men three points clear of the chasing pack.
But Bullen is convinced the trip to Accies will not be plain sailing.
He warned: “Hamilton Accies have nothing to lose, they can go for it.
“They are down there and no-body expects anything from them, but they’ll no doubt put pressure on us, so it’s a dangerous situation.”
Defender Frankie Musonda, who limped off at the weekend, will be monitored closely, while forward Logan Chalmers, who missed out at the weekend, is back in training.
But Friday’s match could come too soon for defender Jordan Houston, who is suffering the effects of a tight hamstring.
Bullen said: “Frankie came off on Saturday with a bit of cramp.
“So we’ll probably wrap him in cotton wool for a couple of days, then see how he is later on.
“Logan is back in training, which is good, but Jordan has a tight hamstring. He’s pushing it for Friday.”
Meanwhile, Bullen hopes to tie down goalkeeper Aidan McAdams on a new contract. It follows the news last week that fellow shot-stopper Charlie Albinson inked a new deal until the summer of 2024.
Bullen said: “Aidan is obviously in a different situation at the moment because he’s having to play second fiddle, so that’s a little bit tougher to get over the line.
“But we’ll do our best to do that, because he is still a young keeper and another three or four years away from his prime.”
He added: “I’m hoping he’s patient enough to bide his time and we can get that one over the line as well.”
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