Manager on Thursday

Jim Jefferies looked forward to Saturday's trip to Stranraer but not before pointing out how well his team had done against St Mirren on Tuesday night.

The Pars manager told the website that praise was official:-

"The wee linesman paid us a fantastic compliment going up the tunnel by saying 'you would have thought you were the Premier League side!'

"Everybody realises that we were very unlucky to at the least not take the game into extra time. We had a great chance because everybody played their part on a different stage. I said to them before the game 'if you ever have ambitions to play in the Premier League you are going to have to play against these teams. Go and use it to show that you can compete and do well against them.'

"They certainly did that. I thought that they were terrific in both halves. We expected a reaction from St Mirren because they were completely outplayed in the first half. Tommy Craig was generous enough to say that.

"They didn't really cause us many problems. They had one flash back off the face of the bar. That was sleeping a wee bit rather than anything created. We passed it really well, we were tenacious, the tempo was great and I thought probably our best spell in the whole game was at 1-1. We were continually getting in behind them.

"Had we got the break we could have gone in front. They got one with only ten minutes to go but there was a great reaction to try and get back level.

"It would have been easy to have felt sorry for ourselves and let them score again but they never. St Mirren were hanging on at the end and that is testament to how well the boys believed that they could get a result."

The manager drew similarities with his team managing the raise their game against St Mirren in the same way as League One opponents are doing to them.

"We have got to handle that. Everybody raises their game but in the games where we failed to win we had chances to be in front. It is all about getting the goal."

The journey down the A77 to Stranraer is not one that any team finds the easiest. Last season Dunfermline made the trip three times and won one and lost two. It will be a different eleven however this Saturday since a number of last season's squad have moved on.

Andy Stirling has come to Dunfermline, striker Martin Grehan has joined Stenhousemuir and they have lost a couple of defenders as well. JJ warned however that the Galloway side will still be dangerous.

"Stevie Aitken has brought players in like Malcolm from Ayr. Ross County only beat them 2-1 on Tuesday night and they will be a hard nut to crack down there. It will take a similar performance as Tuesday night to win the game. They need to show that same will and desire to win that game. If we do that hopefully we will put our chances away. If we can be more clinical it will make it easier for us."

Dunfermline have no plans to bring in more players before the transfer window closes at the end of the month. Jim Jefferies was pleased to bring in Stuart Urquhart from Coventry City to replace the departed Kerr Young and he was delighted that Ross Millen has been able to fill the left back gap left by the injured Alex Whittle and Ross Drummond.

All the injured players remain the same meaning still unavailable are Ryan Wallace, Faissal El Bakhtaoui and the two left backs.

Andy Stirling got ten minutes at St Mirren and played again in the closed doors game against Queens Park at Toryglen on Wednesday night. Dunfermline won 2-0.

The Manager confirmed that the vacant Saturday on 6th September will be filled by a Fife Cup tie away to East Fife with a 1.00pm kick off.

"We have said to them that we will be playing fringe players - ones who have not played against Falkirk and Raith - that will play. The boys will get a few days off next week to recharge the batteries for the game the following week against Stenhousemuir."