JAKUB STOLARCZYK has called on his Pars pals to make East End “a bit of a fortress” ahead of a monumental 90 minutes on Saturday.

The on-loan Leicester City goalkeeper was in inspired form against Kilmarnock, producing a man-of-the-match display that prevented John Hughes’ team departing East Ayrshire with a defeat bigger than the 2-0 setback they suffered at the weekend.

Poland under-21 international Stolarczyk defied the league leaders for long periods with a string of superb saves, particularly in the second half, as Dunfermline failed to build on the momentum gained with the derby win over Raith Rovers last midweek.

Although they have a six-point cushion over bottom side Queen of the South, the stakes couldn’t be higher for Athletic with three games left as they bid to avoid being involved in the play-offs.

They are three points, and two goals worse off, than eighth-placed Ayr United, who fought back from two goals down to earn a draw with Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

The Honest Men travel to East End on Saturday in a game Dunfermline need to win and, with Queens also visiting on the final day of the campaign, Stolarczyk is banking on their home form putting them in a position to clinch safety.

“I think we need to try, in the next two home games, and make our stadium a bit of a fortress,” he said after the match at Rugby Park.

“I’m sure that when Ayr United are going to be coming over on Saturday, they know it’s going to be a tough game for them because we have had a good run at home. Hopefully, the fans can be behind us and help us out to get three points in that game.

“I think the manager mentioned a few days ago that this is going to be the biggest month for the club. We all know this.

“We are all prepared for what’s coming but I think we need to take it game-by-game, reflect on this game, try to take some positives, work on the problems we’ve had in this game, and then go into the next game.

“We need to make sure that we are going to be the ones on top, and we are going to be the ones that are putting pressure on the opposition, because we need those three points.”

Stolarczyk’s heroics drew praise from both managers, with Killie’s Derek McInnes labelling some of his saves as “terrific”, and Hughes describing him as “sensational”, but he admitted he’d have traded his personal performance for a better team outcome, continuing: “Obviously, it always feels good when you can help the team.

“I was doing my best but, in the end, it wasn’t enough to get the three points which is very, very disappointing. I think the whole team is just very disappointed because we know we can give much more than we did.

“To be honest with you, I think I would’ve taken the game where I would probably have about two or three touches, nothing to do, and take the three points over that performance, especially with the position we’re in.”