Fringe stars still have key role to play, says Johnston

Allan Johnston has told his fringe first-team stars he will need them all in the coming weeks if Dunfermline are to earn a promotion play-off spot.

With the Pars boss recruiting five new players in the January transfer window, some fans’ favourites, such as wingers Joe Cardle and Kallum Higginbotham, have dropped down to the bench in recent weeks.

The duo were second-half substitutes in Saturday’s goalless draw with Queen of the South as the Fifers, who had started with three strikers in the team, sought in vain a breakthrough in a second successive stalemate.

With last night’s trip to Brechin City falling foul of the wintry weather, and with Inverness the visitors next Tuesday after Saturday’s home clash with Livingston, the fixtures are piling up at a crucial time for the East End Park men.

And Johnston, who has also dropped skipper Callum Morris from his starting line-up for recent games, is adamant he will need to utilise his whole squad as they seek to land a top-four place and a shot at promotion back to the Premiership.

He said: “You saw Joe and Kallum coming on on Saturday and they gave us a bit of something different. They’re creative and that’s what we’ll need over the coming weeks.

“We’re going to need everybody. We’re going to have to rotate the squad a wee bit as well.”