McMillan missed opportunity

"We are a good bunch so we will get back up to be where we want to be. Hopefully that's on Saturday with a bit of revenge against Hamilton.

Jordan McMillan is hoping that lessons can be taken from meeting Hamilton Accies and confidence can be taken from the victory at New Douglas Park back in September.

"We played well there but we are in a rut  just now. We will keep fighting on and I know we will get back to the way we were. We are capable of winning the league and with no disrespect to a team like Hamilton - they are not going to be up there challenging. It was a good result for them to beat us on our home ground.

"We were a bit down after last Saturday's game.  To be honest, we didn't really perform well and have not been doing as well as we would have liked. It was not a great result because it was a good opportunity to get to a semi final if we could have got passed Falkirk.

"We are a good bunch so we will get back up to be where we want to be. Hopefully that's on Saturday with a bit of revenge against Hamilton. Stevie May is their main man for goals and is always a threat. He scored a good goal against us. I have played against him a few times and we should be dealing with him better."

Fans are concerned that the wage payment problems may be causing the current lack of form and Jordan didn't deny that it is right for them to be wary of the situation. He continued:-

"Now it is going to be. It has rumbled on a bit; it is not one or two months now - it is on for four or five months. People have bills, wife and kids, mortgages and cars - fans need to realise that. Everybody thinks that footballers have a big lifestyle but at this level it is not about that, it is a job at the end of the day. There are not many people who go to their work for a month and don't get paid at the end of it.

"Obviously it is taking its toll but I don't think we are bringing that to work. We are thinking about it but it is affecting us in some way.

Two away games follow at Cowdenbeath and Falkirk and then there's two big home games against the teams currently in first and second position. Jordan knows that recent points dropped means its crucially important that Dunfermline start picking up results:-

"Every game is going to be big now because of the slump we have had. We treat every game the same - we go into it to win. We are capable of beating anybody in the league and we need to get back playing the way that we were playing at the start of the season."

That is what Manager Jim Jefferies is seeking and the Club Captain is grateful that he has not been getting on their backs:-

"He has been very very supportive as has Gerry (McCabe) and Neil (McCann). We believe we can do it but we need to practice what we preach, get on the park and start doing it again. The gaffer has been brilliant, to be honest since he has come in here. He had to change a lot and deal with cuts to the budget. He has brought on a lot of boys from the lower leagues and given them a chance.

"He has a much smaller squad than last season and we struggle when we have injuries. Young Ross Millen was brought in and I thought he did really well, credit to him. He was thrown into a cup game when we were not playing that well. It is going to be hard when we get injuries but we have to hope that boys coming in like Ross will come in and do okay. We don't have resources to put anybody else in.

"At the beginning of the season we were flying high and it looked rosy but I'm sure that we will get back to where we should be. It is just that we have hit a wee slump but the wages problems don't help at all. We don't want to be telling people that but it is dragging on a bit and is affecting us."