‘Pleasantly surprised’ boss thrilled with backing

ATHLETIC manager James McPake has said he has been “pleasantly surprised” with the backing his team have received from the stands.

And he has no doubt that they will give them all the encouragement his “bubbly” players need to bounce back from their first defeat of the season.

A first-ever derby match with Kelty Hearts at KDM Group East End Park – the first between the teams ended in a scoreless draw at New Central Park in August – takes place this weekend, and is followed by a trip to fierce rivals Falkirk.

Following the disappointment of relegation from the Championship last term, Dunfermline racked up seven wins and four draws in League One prior to their loss at Links Park, and McPake has been pleased with the response from his players on the training pitch.

He also lavished praise on the supporters, telling Press Sport this week: “We had chances, we could have been

2-0 up if we were a bit more clinical on another day, but that was for another day.

“It was Montrose’s day on Saturday and fair play to them. We just re-emphasised to the players that we need to get back to training next week again, working hard and we go again out there in front of our own fans who will back us the full way, and they know that.

“That’s probably encouraging them; they know the backing they’re getting from the fans now.

“Maybe at the end of last season it got a wee bit tough, certainly for the ones that are still here, and to see them getting behind them and backing them, is down to the players, the effort, what they’re doing and what they’re putting in.

“They’re getting their reward from the fans with that and, if they continue to do that, and you have to continue to do that if you want to keep the fans on your side, then the fans will continue to stick by them.

“I know I keep going back to that, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the way the fans have got behind the team because I know relegation’s really tough on a football club, and it carries that hangover into the next season.

“You need to try and get rid of that quickly, and they’ve done that. They’ve stuck with us in games.

“I go back to the Airdrie game (a 1-1 draw in August) where Airdrie equalised late on, and they tried to push us over the line that day. Obviously Falkirk come (in September, another 1-1 draw), they get their early goal, and then they pushed us on that day as well.

“We know the fans will get behind us if we show the desire, the commitment, everything that they want to see a player in a Dunfermline jersey do, which is, and should be, the very minimum that we can offer.”

McPake, however, expects a tough test against former Par John Potter’s Kelty side, who have won three successive league games, and picked up their first on the road at Falkirk on Saturday.

The Pars boss, who said he had no new selection concerns, continued: “The boys have responded really well. They came in, they’re back to being bubbly and training hard.

“Obviously we know we were disappointed with what happened at the weekend but, in the overall picture, they’ve been fantastic.

“We’re facing a Kelty team, as you say, that are on a great run of form so we need to be at it defensively. First and foremost we need to get that right, defend particularly in our box; they’re a threat from set plays as well.”