Crawford determined Pars stay focused after fine start

Stev ie Craw ford is confident his Dunfermline side will not get carried away with themselves – despite the club’s best start to a league campaign in 25 years.

The Pars are top of the Championship after five games and unbeaten so far this season following an impressive return to competitive action.

Friday’s 2-1 victory over title favourites Hearts was their fourth win from five league games and their eighth in nine matches.

But Crawford, who has already landed the Championship Manager of the Month award for October, is intent on keeping his players’ feet on the ground ahead of Saturday’s trip to Arbroath in the Betfred Cup.

Asked about overseeing the best start in the league since 1995, he said: “It’s great, it’s great to look at the positives.

“But at some point we’re going to face adversity, there ’s going to be something thrown at us and we’re going to have to adapt.

“We’re going to have take on difficult situations and take them on in a positive manner. So, it’s about not losing focus.

“We could have lost it going into the Hearts game because of the attention that the Hearts game brings.

“We didn’t and being competitive on the night was important to me.

“But, equally, when we do face difficult results and spells through the season, as long as the boys apply themselves as they have been, I’ll be delighted.

“They’ve not been getting carried away and that is going to be massive going into the Arbroath game, because it’s a very, very difficult place to go.”

Stevie Crawford.