Manager on Friday

Close encounter expected when County return to East End Park. David Graham is back but Pars suffered further Injury blows.

Jim McIntyre expects another close encounter with Ross County but unlike last season, this time of the winning kind.

Speaking exclusively to the website on Friday he said:-

"It is always a difficult game, we had three draws against them last season and they won the last time here.  We want to get back to winning ways and although they have had an indifferent start to the season they will take a huge lift out of getting to the Challenge Cup Final last week.  They will come in confident spirits.They are a good side and I like the way they play the game."

Ross County sit seventh in the league and many would have expected them to have been higher.  Macca drew comparison with Dunfermline's own situation at this stage last season.

"We were playing well but weren't getting the points.It is important that you do not read too much into that and take it for what it is going to be - another difficult game."

The Manager reflected the fixture schedule which has seen Dunfermline play five of their opening eight matches away from home.

"It is hard on the Club to get revenue in, it's a bit strange but its just the way the fixtures have come out."

Given that the game against Ross County is just the fourth home league game of the season, the Manager and players are delighted to be sitting top of the league.

"That is where we want to be but we know that a couple of results in this league can easily change things.We must keep focussed;we have lost our last league game and so its important to get back on the winning track."

That last league game at Dumfries is almost two weeks back and in that period for the International break the Pars squad have picked up three injuries in reserve games.  Neil McGregor, Alex Burke and Nick Phinn incurred injuries although Phinn has since recovered.

Further bad news comes with the news that new signing Jack Ross has incurred a knee injury in training that has caused two tears on his cartiledge.

"We are gutted for the boy since he has just joined the Club.  He just caught his knee in training.We have had it scanned and it revealed two tears on his knee that will need him to visit a specialist.  It is one of those unfortunate things; the boy is absolutely devastated.  He has come to a new Club looking to put his stamp on the team, he has been very unlucky and there is no-one more disappointed than he is or I am."

"Austin McCann is still out but David Graham will be in the squad having played his first reserve game in which he scored against Motherwell.  He is still way off fitness wise but he is an important member of the squad.  If he can come on and influence the game, even for 20 minutes then it is great to have him back."