Manager on Friday

01/04/11 JM:- "Cowdenbeath are in great form and we have got to go there and try and put our game plan on to theirs and hopefully it is good enough."

It comes as no surprise that Jim McIntyre considers the game against Cowdenbeath on Saturday will be extremely hard.

"I think you just need to look at their last few results, by all accounts they deserved to beat Dundee and Falkirk, more so Dundee and they have turned over Partick Thistle at Partick who are one of the form teams.  That tells you that their confidence is up and they are up for the battle ahead of trying to stay in the league.  You add into the mix that it is also a local derby.

"We say it every week, there are no easy games.It will be a very tough game.  Even the game we won there the last time - in the first half we were the better side but they were tough to break down.They are fighting for their lives, so it will be very difficult."

Surely after Tuesdays result in Dingwall his team can take more confidence into the game:-

"Any time you win you gain confidence.  Also there is a great reminder there for the players that Falkirk had a great result the week before by beating Raith and went there and drew the game. That lets you know that you can't go there complacent and think because we have won the three games so far against them that its going to be the same again. It will be a totally different game and we have just got to do what we do well and earn the right to play by winning the battles first and foremost."

This First Division title race has been full of twists and turns and Macca has warned of getting ahead of yourself:-

"That's not just clich?s or managers' talk - it really is that type of league. The teams are evenly matched and if you don't start well at all then you can be easily turned over. You just have to take it one game at a time.  Cowdenbeath are in great form and we have got to go there and try and put our game plan on to theirs and hopefully it is good enough."

Waking up on Wednesday morning to see the league table headed by Dunfermline was satisfying but maybe only temporary:-

"That's the aim for everybody but you have got to remember that Raith have still got a game in hand. We can only affect what we do and it's important that we just take it a game at a time."

the Manager was in little doubt as to what it was going to take to stay there:-

"Winning.It's results. There are five games to go and at this stage of the season it's not about how you play, it's about getting three points.It's about courage, determination to make sure that you win the game."

On the injury front there was not much of an improvement to report in terms of greater squad availability:-

"It's pretty much the same. There is a couple of boys who have done a wee bit more since Tuesday but will they feature tomorrow? - probably a bit too soon."

The squad has been augmented however by the addition of Graham Bayne and Jake Hyde. Macca was delighted to get them in, but there was very very little cost involved.

"People will be saying oh Dunfermline's spending money but we are not. We have signed one on an amateur form and Graham's will be appearance based only.It is great that the Board have allowed me to do that.It's another couple of bodies in case you do face suspensions and injuries."

April will seem much quieter than March and that is welcomed:-

"Players will tell you at this stage of the season that they want to play games but having faced 8 games in March its been a big ask and we were stretched the other night there in terms of injuries.  It will give the 30+'s a wee chance to recover in between games, which is important.  After tomorrow's game we can look forward to two weeks without a game because of the way the Challenge Cup Final has been re-arranged, so that gives us a wee chance to regroup again."

Without a match for two weeks the Manager has no plans for any bounce games.

Finally he gave an update on Steven Bell's operation last Monday

"Great.It's obviously early days but he has to go back and see the surgeon in 2 weeks time but so far he is happy with the way it went. It is just a case of the long haul again, the long start of the recuperation process.It is immobilised just now and he will go back and see the surgeon in two weeks. He is looking at six months out again, so you are looking at September time. Now he has to refocus on getting better."