Jim Jefferies on Thursday

27/11/14: ""We have to roll our sleeves up and battle."

The advantageous side of the Scottish Cup draw away to Stranraer is that at least the Pars management and players know what to expect from their opponents. For the Fifers fifth trip to Stair Park in just over a year

"Going down there you never get the prettiest of games, it is a tight pitch and we know that we will be up against a big strong well organised team. They will make it difficult for a lot teams, even Premier League teams, who go down there. This season they have already knocked Falkirk out of a cup.

"We are going into it on a high like we did the last time we went there and managed a 2-1 win in an eventful game. We had a man sent off, they got one sent off and it got back in our favour.

"We have to roll our sleeves up and battle. It will be a good old fashioned cup tie from both teams; you cannot go down there and play like you can because they stop you doing that. They make it physical and they have experience about that as well.

"Let them get on the front foot and they can cause you all sorts of problems. First and foremost the message will be to win our individual battles, once you do that and start controlling the ball, then you can use your abilities to go and play. We are a team that always likes to play but as long as we have the other side of it right and do not get knocked out of our stride by them wanting it more than us.

"We do not sit and play for draws, we try and get the job done. On paper it could look like it could finish like that. There are already predictions that we could get beat 2-1; maybe we are the underdogs going into this game?

"They will have noticed that after drawing 1-1 with the same team the week before that we beat them 4-0. We made a number of changes and it worked."

JJ dismissed ideas that it might have been nice to be drawn against a team from a different league:-

"What you have got is what you get and you have to deal with that. The bonus is that we know Stranraer well. If we got a team from a Division below away from home they can make it uncomfortable for you. That's where cup shocks are famous; we have seen Bo'ness, a junior side knock out a senior team in this competition. Linlithgow were very unlucky to lose to Raith Rovers. They are all difficult matches because they all raise their game.

"At least we know Stranraer - how they play, what their set up is, what their players are all about. We have an insight into them. It is a cup tie, there is no pressure of league points. The league is our priority but we have another priority and that is to have a cup run for the club's coffers.

"The way the draw is, the top fourteen clubs have all been drawn against each other so there might be an avenue to going further. If we can get through and maybe receive a home tie and go on further into the nitty gritty. That would help the club. We need to focus on getting through this time before we can think of anything else."

The first big interest on Saturday will be with Jim Jefferies team selection. Last Saturday he made seven changes to allow those who had been impressing in the under 20s:-

"Before I announced the team I told the players that they weren't out because of lack of effort or application. It was just that things weren't working for them. A wee break might take the pressure off of not winning.

"You look for a response from the players that you have left out because they have already been told why they have been left out. If I was a player I think it is better that the manager knows that I have been working hard, competing well. They have to be honest with themselves and say "he is right, it hasn't been happening for us. We have been dominating games but not been putting it away. You cannot blame the manager."

"We put a team out against Partick Thistle (in Tuesday's Development League) and we scored six. Geggan who was putting goals away for fun last year, suddenly with no pressure scores a hat trick. Moffat scored but he has subconsciously thoughts about his first baby's arrival. He concentrates hard, although he has not had the goal return.

"What he brings to the team is work rate and I hope Gozie Ugwu has learned a lesson from that because not only did Gozie score a hat trick on Saturday he worked his socks off. If he hadn't scored on Saturday I think the fans would have been happy that he put himself about for the team. You might not score a hat trick every week but if you are not scoring you contribute to the team. Working to make things available for others.

"He did that well on Saturday as well as scoring goals. I hope the penny has dropped with him that if he wants to keep his place.

"I am disappointed at those who put down last week's performance to Stirling Albion being bad. I think the players at Dunfermline Athletic football club should get the credit for making them bad. Stirling have improved over their recent games and we might have had a tough match of it.

"I think there was a bit more tenacity about us on Saturday. We have been playing some good stuff but there have been 50-50s, maybe being second best but we weren't on Saturday. Even when we made tackles and the ball was lying loose we seemed to get it first with toe pokes that other players were picking up.

"For me it was a good all round performance and Stirling were made to look worse than they were because of a fine performance."

Ryan Williamson will miss the game following his injury last Saturday and Gozie Ugwu is hoping to recover from a calf knock. Shaun Byrne picked up an injury in training on Thursday but is hopeful nothing he can't shrug off.