Manager Gary Bollan says it smells like team spirit at Airdrieonians after an excellent run of just one defeat in 10 games.

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The Diamonds are seven points clear of rock-bottom Arbroath and three ahead of ninth-placed East Fife in the League One table ahead of Saturday's trip to Stranraer.

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A 5-1 thumping of Forfar Athletic last weekend has only increased expectation among the fans that Airdrie's survival bid will end in a positive outcome.

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And Bollan believes a happy dressing-room unit is the main building block for any successful team.

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He said: "When you're down at the bottom and things aren't falling for you then you can lose your confidence. But we've regained it over the last eight or nine weeks. We're a match for anyone.

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"We're playing as a tight unit and we're defending better. We aren't conceding as many goals as we were earlier in the season.

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"It is credit to the players for the hard work they've put in at training but we're still in a difficult position. We're not out of it yet.

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"There is a great atmosphere about the dressing room. There is a good team spirit and at a football club that is massive.

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"I think the players are looking forward to their football every Saturday on the back of these results and long may that continue.

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"We've got to maintain this momentum until it is mathematically impossible for us to be relegated."

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The Diamonds lost 3-1 at Stranraer in November but held Stevie Aitken's men to a 1-1 draw at New Broomfield in January – a measure of the improvement the team has showed.

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"The teams directly above us will be looking over their shoulder but our focus is on the next game," Bollan added. "It's not about looking any further forward.

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"Stranraer is a difficult place to go but we will go there with confidence and will be in a totally different frame of mind compared to last time."

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Airdrie are without on-loan Partick Thistle winger Caolan McAleer who will serve the second game of a two-match suspension.