Manager on Thursday

19/04/18: AJ - “It is two form teams playing each other but we have the advantage of knowing that if we win the game we will be in the play offs.”

Allan Johnston and his players are looking forward to Saturday’s trip to the Caledonian Thistle Stadium. He told the media on Thursday that his team will go into their crucial penultimate fixture of the Championship programme full of confidence on the back of recent results.

“We know that we are going to have to put in a big performance because Inverness are on a great run as well. It is two form teams playing each other but we have the advantage of knowing that if we win the game we will be in the play offs. That is a great incentive to have.”

The manager was pleased with the way his side defeated Brechin last Saturday although did feel that they could maybe have scored more goals.

“We created chances, we looked solid defensively but you could probably have said that for the last six or seven weeks. We have to make sure that we keep doing our jobs, don’t lose focus on where we want to be.

“We want to be in these play offs and this is a massive opportunity to get there.”

There is now no need to speculate how results could turn out in order to assure the play off spot. A win secures the place and that is what AJ is seeking without the hope of other teams doing you a favour:-

“If you look at all the fixtures over the last few weeks and the results nobody is going to do you a favour. You just have to go out there and get the results that you need. Focus on getting the points that will get you in the play offs.”

Dundee United are now displaced the Pars from third place but the Pars manager feels that give the outstanding fixtures a third place finish is still there to be played for.

“It is hard to predict results. There are a lot of good teams going to be playing each other. A lot of meaningful games so there can still be twists and turns. We don’t want to be in a situation where we are looking at other results. We want to try and finish as high as possible.”

Allan Johnston watched Inverness win at Dumbarton in midweek and reflected that Ian Vigurs is a big player forJohn Robertson’s team but he is suspended. Gary Warren went off injured so that is two key players who are going to be missing.

“They have players who can come in and play in those positions because they have a strong squad. We are not taking anything for granted, we are going to have to put in a top performance, especially with it being up there as well.

“It is a hard place to go but I’m sure that we will take a massive support again and get the three points.”

Ahead of heading north on Friday the squad will train and Callum Morris will be part of that.

“We are trying to prepare right. They had a game on Wednesday night so hopefully that is a slight advantage that helps us as well.

“We are going to have to start well because they know that they have to get a result as well. It will suit us that they are going to have to come and attack. It should be a really entertaining game.”

The manager confirmed that keeper Sean Murdoch had seen a specialist who has agreed a course of treatment.

“If all goes well he should start to progress a lot quicker than he has been. It is hard to put a timescale on it. The specialist is hopeful that it will take four to six weeks before he can start to make his way back.”

Allan closed by congratulating the Pars Foundation for winning the SPFL Trust Community Project of the Year Award.

“It is unbelievable. When you look at some of the bigger clubs it is a great achievement. It is all down to guys like some of the volunteers who put the hard work in behind the scenes. It was a great effort from everybody involved with it so it is a good achievement for the club.

“Growing the young fan base was the goal when they set it up. It was to try and encourage young players and school kids to bring their family to games. I’m sure if you look at Dunfermline’s support, it is one of the supports where you get a real family feeling at the games. There seems to be a lot of young fans so it is promising sins for the club.”

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