MORTON may have stormed into the promotion play-off slots thanks to a remarkable unbeaten run - but defender Jack Baird insists their immediate aim remains SURVIVAL.

The big defender is keeping his feet planted firmly on the ground ahead of this weekend's away clash against Dunfermline.

While Ton's 11-game unbeaten sequence has taken them up the table and built an 11-point gap between themselves and rock bottom Arbroath, Baird says their first target is gathering enough points to ensure they avoid the drop.

He's adamant that's the sole aim of the squad for now, and only once it is attained will they re-evaluate and set fresh targets.

He said: "We're eleven points away from my team-mate Robbie Muirhead and me's favourite number - forty. That's always the key to any season in the Championship.

"You want to get to forty points first and then look at where you go from there. Last week's win against Arbroath got us three points closer to it and if we were to get another win this weekend against Dunfermline it would take us closer still.

"But we don't want to get too carried away.

"For us now it's just about keeping our heads down and trying to keep on going as best we can, taking things a game at a time."

Baird admits Ton have an extra incentive in this weekend's game at East End Park, with close rivals Airdrie taking a break from league duty to fulfil an SPFL Trust Trophy semi-final tie.

He told the Tele: "It's a huge game for us this weekend. This is a great game to be going to play in because there's a lot at stake. Not only could we begin to put daylight between ourselves and Dunfermline, but we could also put a bit of distance between ourselves and Airdrie who are obviously on cup duty.

"East End Park's a great stadium to play in and Dunfermline are a massive club with a great following, so it'll be difficult. They've beaten us twice this season and deservedly so as well, so we know what we're up against.

"They're a good young team who play decent football, so it'll be a tough day for us.

"We'll go up there and try to do our bit but you take whatever you can get from an away game, no matter who you're playing.

"We can't afford to get too carried away with the run we are on either, because as brilliant as it has been to go eleven games unbeaten, it will come to an end at some point."