Johnston sets Dunfermline’s sights on Premiership
ALLAN JOHNSTON has set Dunfermline the target of challenging for a second successive promotion as they prepare to return to the Championship next season.
East End Park manager Johnston, who penned a new two-year deal in April, believes a play-off place finish is a realistic ambition for the Ladbrokes League One champions.
Gavin Reilly has signed on loan from Hearts to join former Kilmarnock defender Lee Ashcroft and ex-Inverness midfielder Nat Wedderburn in Fife.
Set to face former Hearts team-mate and Kilmarnock assistant Gary Locke in derby action against Raith, Johnston acknowledges the fierce competitive nature of the promotion battle.
And he is still waiting to see if 30-goal striker Faissal El Bakhtaoui will accept an offer to return for the new campaign.
But that has not stopped Johnston predicting that his promoted side will be in the mix with Hibernian, Dundee United, Falkirk and Locke’s Rovers.
‘It’s going to be some division,’ said the Dunfermline boss, speaking at a 2016/17 season preview event organised by the SPFL and title sponsors Ladbrokes.
‘When you look at the clubs in the Championship next year you’ve got to think: “Could we go a bigger Premiership?”
‘There’s enough big clubs in there to make it possible. I think it will be really competitive. Hibs have got a lot of quality and I’m sure they will bring in a couple of other good players, as will Dundee United.
‘But Falkirk and Raith Rovers pushed all the way last year so I’m sure it will be really difficult. We are hoping to get into the playoffs. We are a big club with a lot of good players.
‘We go in full of momentum from the season before and with confidence. Hopefully we take that into this season. We’ve managed to bring in three players so far.
‘Boys who’ve played in the Premiership. Gavin, who I’ve worked with before, is a top player. Lee Ashcroft from Kilmarnock — for a young guy he’s played a lot of top flight games.
‘Nat Wedderburn, that’s the type of quality we’re trying to add to the squad alongside the good players we had last year. We still need to add another two or three.’