Jim Jefferies on Monday

12/05/14: JJ - "The biggest problem will be the pitch ..

Jim Jefferies fully expects Cowdenbeath to be fully motivated when Dunfermline travel to Central Park for the first leg of the Championship play off on Wednesday night.

"There is no doubt who is the bigger club, it is just that they are in a better place than us at the moment. They are the ones who are struggling and that is why they are in that position but lately they have done fantastically well. They nearly got out of it and will probably want to make up for that. It gives it more of an edge."

For this Fife Derby the bookies are quoting 11/10 for a Cowdenbeath win, 11/5 for a Dunfermline win and 13/5 for the draw. All odds very close together and no safe bet all of which leads JJ to agree with a most used phrase:-

"Lottery is always used to describe play offs, you can be the best team but you can get a decision here or there, or a bit of bad luck. I don't think anybody is what you'd say favourites going into the game. It is a game where I'd imagine both teams will be up for it. It will be won by the one getting the breaks and making the least mistakes because both teams have got goals in them."

The Pars manager hopes that the experience of going and playing Stranraer will be a good grounding for the matches against the Blue Brazil:-

"They used all their physical attributes to get in about us. We didn't deal with it for spells in the game but there times when we were better than them. You are going to get more of that in the final. I am not saying that Cowdenbeath will go out and play the same way but the biggest problem will be the pitch. They say that it is not the best so it is not going to be a night for getting the ball down and trying to play pretty football. When you do that bobbles and bumps can cost you. If you play in the wrong areas it can cost you.

"I am expecting a tough battle there but we just need to be concentrated, switched on all the time and do the right things. If it is a tight game, which I am sure that it will be, the second leg is going to be a cracker because our pitch was great on Saturday, there will be a big crowd and it is a fitting way to finish. Both teams will probably benefit from playing on a better surface."

With the venues for the two legs being reversed Jim Jefferies is happy that his side will have home advantage on Sunday when the requirements will have been set:-

"It is what it is but it will only be an advantage if we take advantage of it. Cowdenbeath went down to Ayr where you would say Ayr had the advantage but Cowdenbeath won 2-1. They have had some great results away from home; they won up at Dundee, they won at Raith Rovers and Dundee are the champions so nobody can take them lightly."

The manager acknowledged the effect the large and vocal crowd had made on Saturday and felt that they could create a good atmosphere at Central Park too:-

"It maybe isn't the biggest but we will take a few along there who couldn't get to Stranraer. There will be a few extra on the gate supporting both sides and that will be another good atmosphere."

The size of the Pars squad allowed Jefferies to make five changes on Saturday. Jonathan Page will return after serving his one match suspension but the three strikers Jordan Moore, Ryan Wallace and Lawrence Shankland who are responsible for over a third of Dunfermline's 83 goals this season are all out. The manager believes Ryan Thomson with six from 34 matches gives the team valuable presence upfront:-

"He tries to create chances, he is not going to get you a lot of goals but he gets important goals here and there. Faissal is new to the task but he pops up with some goals as well and wee Smithy is coming back on to form after a long time out through illness and injury so these are the ones who have got to take it on."