Manager on Thursday

"If we play as well as we can, we are a tough nut for any team."

Jim Jefferies dismissed suggestions that the next three matches against AyrUnited, Forfar Athletic and Morton will decide the title race:-

"There is a long way to go after that, what it will do is get a chance to gauge who is going to be up there. Morton beat us and deservedly beat us to go a point above us but since then they have not taken a point and we have taken six.

"In this league, it is not down to two or three games. What we do feel is that after these three games we will have some idea of what we need to do.

"We are being positive and looking to take the lions share of the points. You could win these games but then lose the next three. If we play as well as we can, we are a tough nut for any team."

Friday night's opponents have spoiled a good start to their league campaign with back to back defeats in their last two games, at home to Airdrieonians and away to Peterhead. JJ continued:-

"Ayr United started really well this season. They have now only had one win in five and lost their last two games. That is dangerous because they will want to put that right. We think it will be the same as last year, one of our hardest games."

The weekly routine has to change to accommodate the Friday night fixture, switched because of Scotland's international on Saturday. Except for those involved in the U20s match against Kilmarnock the squad had Tuesday off instead of the usual Wednesday, so that today felt like a Friday.

"We stuck to our normal routine, what we normally do on a Friday we did on a Thursday so that we can look forward to tomorrow night. Night games always have a bit of a novelty about them. It is normally a Tuesday or a Wednesday. Hopefully there is a better chance of a decent crowd on a Friday night than playing it on a Sunday.

"Games played under lights down there always have a good atmosphere. It will be one of our hardest games and the players will be well warned about that."

Jim Jefferies will be without Lewis Martin who is away on international duty. The manager felt it frustrating to see Lewis an unused sub in the European Championship Qualifiers with players who are not playing in first team games played instead.

"It is something that you just have to accept and get on with. We support Scotland teams all we can."

As a former Kilmarnock manager JJ is always assured of a friendly rivalry at Somerset Park but he feels that it is not about that.

"We have been down there a few times last season and did well. Touch wood we have always done well. I have had success in cup ties down there with Kilmarnock. Mark Roberts has lost one or two players like Moffat but he has replaced them quite well."

So like all players, they go back to former clubs, the manager continued:-

"He did fantastic for them and if he does get stick then you look at the positives since they tried desperately to keep him but the laddie wanted a crack at full time football. Dunfermline was a chance for him to get that.

"He has been unlucky, he has been involved in a lot of good attacking play but he is disappointed that there have been two or three chances fallen his way that have just not happened for him. Strikers get spells like that but once he hits the net regularly in a couple games, I think he will not look back. This would be the perfect game to start.

"It often happens that players score when they return to a former club, Moff is an honest guy and he knows that a winning team is more important. If he manages to score or lay one on well that is a bonus."

Another former Ayr United player in the Pars squad on Friday might will be Andy Geggan. The skipper has returned to training having recovered from a knee injury. Ryan Wallace and Ryan Thomson are both still out. The manager elaborated on the Ryan Wallace's injury:-

"He had a stress fracture that he had to rest for three weeks before coming in for another scan. We have had that scan done and the result of that. The stress fracture is still there and there has only been a slight improvement. It has not responded as hoped and he will have to rest it again. He will to do the same things as before and keep off it until it is completely cleared up.

"Ryan himself was feeling better and hoped to start training in a couple of weeks but that's a wee bit optimistic. We need to wait until we see a big improvement in a scan. If we get him back even for the second part of the season after the turn of the year I will be delighted."

The manager was cheered up however with the look of his other striker, Allan Smith following the removal of his tonsils:-

"He is looking a different laddie in training, his energy levels have been great recently. He has not done a lot in the last few days but is looking perkier so that thing that was affecting his system is resolved."