The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Aird learned hard way how dramatic play-offs can be
Dunfermline: Canadian knows to expect unexpected in high-stakes clash with Dundee United
Bitter experience has taught Fraser Aird to expect the unexpected in the playoffs as he bids to help Dunfermline take a step closer to a return to the Premiership.
The Canadian international suffered disappointments with Rangers in 2015 and Falkirk last year as they chased their promotion dreams via the exciting endof-season knockout format.
Last season’s defeat with Falkirk came against tonight’s opponents Dundee United, when the Bairns suffered a devastating last-minute loss at home in the second-leg after a 2-2 draw at Tannadice.
It was proof that drama comes as standard in the play-offs.
With Dunfermline on a 10-game unbeaten run, the 23-year-old is desperate to come out on the right side of the thrills and spills this time around.
He said: “I’ve been in the play-offs before, with Rangers and then with Falkirk last year.
“With Falkirk last season we won up there and got what we thought was a good result.
“And then we came back and scored first in the second-leg.
“But they scored to equalise and then scored in the last minute to knock us out.
“That’s the play-offs: you think you’re in the driving seat and then something else happens,” he said.
“Goals are crucial. We play at home first, so hopefully we can take a good result up there and know what we have to do in the second-leg.
“We just need to take our form into the game. It doesn’t matter who we play in our league, I think we have the players to go on and challenge to try to get to the Premiership.
“It’s easy saying that, we need to go and do it.
“But we’re in the best form possible going into the fixtures and hopefully we can show that.”
Aird set up two goals for Kallum Higginbotham and scored one himself in Saturday’s confidence-boosting 4-0 win over Dumbarton that clinched Dunfermline fourth spot.
With Sir Alex Ferguson watching his old team from the main stand, it was a good time for the former Rangers winger to turn in one of his best performances for the club.
More importantly, the Toronto-born player is happy to be peaking like his team-mates at a crucial point in the campaign.
He said: “I think I’m hitting form at the right time. I’ve got myself into the team and I’ve kept myself in the team, and it’s always nice to chip-in with assists and goals.
“We’ve had a good run-in to get into the play-offs, we’ve not been beaten in 10 games. Hopefully we can take that form into the play-offs and then it’s up to us.”
We’re in the best form possible going into the fixtures.
FRASER AIRD