KILMARNOCK striker Kyle Lafferty will pose the biggest threat to Arbroath’s title ambitions when they meet in a potential Championship decider at Rugby Park tonight.

Two points clear of their second-placed opponents going into this penultimate fixture, a home victory would see the Ayrshire club bounce back into the Premiership just 12 months after leaving it.

An away win, though, and all bets would be off, with the Northern Ireland striker admitting divine intervention would be required if Arbroath reclaim pole position.

“If it comes to it and we go into the final game at Dunfermline still needing a result we’ll deal with that then but all the lads know we can put an end to this on Friday if we produce the sort of performance we’ve shown at home of late.

“If it’s a draw we go again, if it’s worse than that then we shake ourselves down and hope for a miracle on the last day of the campaign, with Arbroath losing and us beating Raith Rovers but, with a good, professional display from us on Friday, we should be fine.”

Any outcome other than Kilmarnock securing automatic promotion in front of a capacity crowd of 17,889 will leave Lafferty literally counting the cost of his decision to return to the Ayrshire club from Anorthosis Famagusta in January.

“I could have stayed abroad and earned more money,” he revealed. “I could have signed for a Premiership club for more money but once Kilmarnock came in I didn’t have to think about anything else.

“No matter that I scored 13 goals in 13 games, I was part of the team that was relegated. We let down the club and the fans and no matter how much money you’re offered, the chance to bring them back up over-rides that.

“Plus being able to get your hands on a medal at the end of a season is what football is all about – or should be.”

Lafferty would have stayed last year if they had avoided the drop but he’s hoping that this time he will be in it for the long haul.

“If they offer me as much as I want then yes!” he said. “Obviously, I wanted to stay last season but, as so often in football, things don’t work out as planned. I’ve spoken to the manager and I want to stay.

“Kilmarnock have been good to me and the gaffer has been brilliant but we’ll speak about that again once the games are finished. First and foremost, we have to make sure we get back to where we belong.”

Although he’s made only 13 appearances since returning from Cyprus, Lafferty is on a four-man short list to be PFA Scotland’s Championship Player of the Year, although he admits that winning the award would mean little if ut wasn’t accompanied  by a championship success.

“From a personal point of view, I was delighted, obviously, but I didn’t come back to Kilmarnock to pick up individual awards: it was to get the club back into the Premiership and we have a massive game against Arbroath,” he said.