Jim Jefferies on Friday

08/11/13: JJ - "We should have gone and hurt them because we had opportunities that we did not take.

Coming up against Stenhousemuir for the second time this season, Jim Jefferies is hoping that Stenny are not given a three goal start this time:-

"We had opportunities in the first half to score ourselves and their manager said afterwards that even when they made it 4-2 he felt that the game was not dead. He knew that during the game we could easily have scored as well. When we got it back to 3-2 we felt that we were going to get something out of it but when it went to 4-2 it was a bit of a blow.

"We recovered great and would maybe have settled for 4-4 but this team will fight as long as there is time at all. They thoroughly deserved the win that day. Tomorrow if we are not so generous in defence it would make things a bit easier."

Speaking exclusively to this website the Manager revealed that there had not been much done on the training ground since Wednesday night's exertions at Ibrox.

"It is just about recovery. Ryan Thomson is still a major doubt, Faissal El Bakhtaoui is out with a torn hamstring, Hubby took a knock but he trained today. It will be more or less the same squad as we took to Ibrox.

"People maybe didn't notice it, but it was a very heavy pitch at Ibrox after rain all day in Glasgow. The effort they put in would sap a lot of energy. That is why we have given them a couple of days where they are just taking it easy. They are young and enthusiastic and there is no doubt that they will be desperate to go again."

With second placed Ayr United having to move their home match against Stranraer back to Tuesday 12th November due to Stranraer having a cup replay at Auchinleck Talbot, Saturday gives Dunfermline a chance to win points that would hoist them above Ayr.

"Nicky Law said some nice things in the papers about our performance against Rangers but it was just in the final third that we let ourselves down. Especially from the build up play that we had in the first half, we should have gone and hurt them because we had opportunities that we did not take. We did not create any great chances because we didn't stop and look for a pass. We should have been taking them on and getting in behind them.

"If you get in behind Rangers you have to punish them when you get the chance. We didn't do that. I am not complaining about the way we set up, when we broke we passed the ball well and we did the defensive side great. We just didn't penetrate them enough in the last third. Ryan Wallace got a lot of chances to get in behind them down that left hand side and cause them problems but he never really did.

"They would learn a lot from playing Rangers. My team is on about £3500 per week but Rangers have not got one player I imagine on that park on Wednesday with a salary anything near that. I might be wrong but I thought we came out with a lot of credit. We didn't sit in, we pressed them, made it hard for them and competed with them.

"I hope Andrew Little is alright and gets over his injuries. He was brave there but so was our player. Whittle collided with him to prevent the free header. Physically you wouldn't think that they would be a match but it showed you the determination of all the players to make sure that they weren't out muscled and not pushed about. We showed a bit of grit and determination against Rangers which is always required but we also played some really good stuff, just a pity we didn't do enough to finish them off.

"The game swung on the penalty and having seen that on the video there is just no way that could ever be deemed a penalty. McCulloch has been clever, he has played for it and he got it. Well done to him for that but it was never a penalty because a good referee would have seen that he played for it.

"Where McCulloch was clever was that all night he didn't really get a lot of clear headers because Jordan Moore did his job on him. That one time he tried to get away from him he was clever. For me it wasn't a sending off, it wasn't even a booking. That is where the game swung. It took pressure off Rangers and made it harder for us. If that penalty not happened we would have got something out of the game."

Jordan Moore will serve an automatic one match ban meaning that he will miss the game against the team he scored two against back in August. Before returning to the Stenhousemuir match Jim Jefferies wanted to pay particular tribute to the Pars fans who travelled to Ibrox on Wednesday night:-

"I thought they were fantastic. All through the game they got behind the boys. They appreciated the difference between the two sides in terms of experience and I think they were pleased that they stuck to their task and competed well. They kept it close for that long. They could have gone there and got swamped after losing two or three early goals but no they can come out with a lot of credit. They were appreciated when the boys went across to them at the end and the fans all stood and gave them a standing ovation.

"That is the kind of thing that is happening at the Club right now. We are coming together, there is always a good sprit about the Club amongst everybody - supporters, staff, players, directors and people who work at the Club and we have to keep this going."