Manager previews Alloa Athletic match

04/05/23: JM - “Never mind the records we want to go down there, get the three points and win it in style but to do that we need to work the way we have all season."

Dunfermline’s 48th and final match of the 2022-2023 season will see them make the short trip west to play Alloa Athletic. Manager James McPake is keen to keep the winning habit going, he told the website:-

"We want to finish this season on a high - and the high might not be winning the game, I must stress that. Everything is focused around the performance. That`s what`s been really consistent over the course of 36 league games - it`s been 35 so far - and all the friendlies.

"They`ve worked hard consistently, and that`s on a daily basis, not just on a match day. We`re not going to let that drop now, we`re going to keep it going. The players won`t allow it to drop, we certainly won`t. Every 90 minutes is special because that`s the really good part of being a footballer, when you`re playing in games. What better way to play in the last game of the season when you`re already league champions.

"I`m sure we`ll take another big crowd down to Alloa - and we owe it to them to go out and give everything as well. We`ll certainly not sit on it. We have prepared this week, yes they had an extra day off at the start of the week but then they have come in and prepared as normal. That is not going to change.”

Last Saturday the team broke the record for fewest goals conceded at home in a league season - 10. Next up they can achieve fewest goals conceded away in a league season, fewest goals conceded in a league season, the fewest away games lost in a season and a win at the Indodrill Stadium would mean they can surpass the highest number of points won in a League One season by DAFC. James maintained that the players don’t need any ‘carrots’:-
 
"Even putting the targets to one side - and we use them for motivation at certain times - in that group at the minute they don`t need the motivation.  They know they`ve got one really hard working day left and that`s Saturday.

“They`ve got one more real tough shift to give and then they`ve got a decent break where they can go and get niggles tied up, we can get some injuries back and they can recover from what`s been a tough season starting on 13th June last year.

“Never mind the records we want to go down there, get the three points and win it in style but to do that we need to work the way we have all season."

James added his congratulations to Kyle Benedictus and Matty Todd who are two of four nominations for the League One Players’ Player of the Year.

"It`s not surprising with the season they`ve had. Congratulations to [Calum] Gallagher and [Ruiari] Paton as well. They have been excellent this season. Four worthy nominations, in my opinion anyway.

"It`s little things like that that are important, particularly when it`s your peers. That`s a good one for the players and I`m delighted we`ve got a couple of nominations for the player of the year. These ones are really important, when your own players are voting for you. I`m delighted for both of them but not surprised either."

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