Spirits are high in Pars camp before Alloa trip
DUNFERMLINE’S players are “in good spirits” and will be ready for Saturday’s “tough” trip to Alloa Athletic as they aim to get back to winning ways.
Ahead of FC Edinburgh’s match last night (Wednesday) with Peterhead, who stunned the Pars by hitting two late goals to fight back and claim a point at KDM Group East End Park on Saturday, Athletic remained top of League One with the only unbeaten record across all four SPFL divisions.
They have, however, drawn four of their last five outings – the exception being a win at Queen of the South at the beginning of last month – and boss James McPake is keen to look forward following the Blue Toon disappointment.
“That’s what you have to do. If you don’t do that, then it can become an issue,” he told Press Sport this week.
“The players are in good spirits. They’ve trained well at the start of this week, and they’ll be ready come Saturday for Alloa.
“The questions that have been asked, and the stuff that’s come out, it’s as if there’s a crisis because we dropped two points at home to Peterhead. This is a tough league we’re in. Yes, we weren’t at our best, and it maybe just goes to show that, when you’re not at your best, it is a leveller, whether you’re playing Falkirk at home, or Peterhead.
“It’s just a game and we move on. We look forward to going to Alloa. It will be the third time we’ve played them, so we know how effective they can be. The games have been very tight, and Saturday will be another really tough game for both sides, that both sides will fancy getting a positive result from.”
When asked if Saturday’s result emphasised the need to be switched-on at all times, to prevent any team taking advantage, McPake replied: “I don’t think they intentionally meant to lose two goals.
“We certainly never set up to get 2-0 up and lose two goals, but it’s football. You’re playing against good players, and every team that you play against has got an aim to take points for survival or to try and win a game for their own cause.
“That’s part of the game. We move on, it’s done now. We’re still unbeaten, which is important, and we move on to Saturday and try and get a positive result. But, to get that, we know the performance has to be a bit better.
“We’re only three-and-a-bit, four months, into the job, so it is still early. We’re still working hard to get better and that takes time, but everything just now focuses on this Saturday. The main thing is the players are in good spirits and still looking confident, so that bodes well.
“We know that home games, we want to win and we want to do better, but teams do come down and they enjoy playing at East End Park. It’s a great pitch, credit to the groundstaff for that, and it’s always a good atmosphere, so we need to be ready when that does happen.
“It’s been a decent start but that’s all. The real pleasing thing is the work we’re doing with the players and how they’re responding to what we’re asking them to do. The players have been different class.
“I think they deserve all the credit, or most of the credit. We go in and, as a staff, we’re very consistent in what we’re trying to ask. It’s hard work, and they know that, but, to a man, they’ve all bought into it and I think they’re enjoying it.
“Certainly, from when you see them in training, and what they do on a day-to-day basis, they look like they’re enjoying it.”
McPake added that Lewis McCann had resumed training after coming off against Peterhead with a niggle, and has no fresh injury concerns ahead of Saturday.