Incentive for every team to be the first

28/12/13: JJ - " If it came down to a physical battle between Rangers and us, there is only one team going to win

Dunfermline's performance at Ibrox in November will have served notice that the league leaders are in for a tough game on Monday night.  However, the Pars boss laughed at suggestions that his team had created a rough house in that first encounter in League One.  Jim Jefferies said:-

"I found that incredible. I was glad my team competed because we said to them 'don't be bullied'. Rangers are a big strong side and it would be easy for them to use their power and strength.

"Don't get me wrong, Rangers tried to play but to accuse Dunfermline of being a rough house, I found it quite comical. You are talking about an average age of twenty and some of them looking like a pull through for a rifle! I don't see how we can be a strong physical team, if it came down to a physical battle between Rangers and us, there is only one team going to win.

"We concentrate on going out there and trying to play. Play at a certain tempo, pass the ball well with movement, know your job, do your job, try and exploit where we can cause Rangers the most problems. It maybe takes an adjustment here and there for certain players but they can do that. They are all comfortable in certain positions.

"It doesn't matter who we play, we just set the team up the right way to have a go and that's what we will do. If we don't win we will still be second and just take it on to the next game. If we win, we close the gap. It is still a gap and Rangers are everybody's favourites to go up but you just never know in football. They have not been beaten yet and that is an incentive for every team to be the first. Stranraer did fantastic to take a point off them - Ally said that they deserved it - but nobody has beaten them in the league. We have the opportunity on Monday but we will have to play to our best to be able to do that."

The Pars gaffer was at Ibrox to watch Rangers in the Boxing Day fixture against Stranraer and he was in agreement with his Rangers opposite number in terming the performance disappointing:-

"Stranraer were solid, very well organised. They weren't outstandingly good particularly in the first half when it was all Rangers that had the ball but they did very little with it. They have a lot of good experience in their team, they are a big strong powerful team which is always an advantage. They have some gifted players but they did not perform on the day. Ally McCoist will know that if they don't perform against Dunfermline, we have a chance.

"Rangers will know that they have slipped up and that can be the time when they are at their most dangerous. If we can shut out the fact it's Rangers, it is eleven v eleven and we will have the players - if they go and play like they can play -  to give Rangers a helluva game. If we don't more likely than not Rangers will come out on top.

"The challenge is there and we have a points gap of nine to Ayr in fourth place so we can go out and have a go. If it doesn't work out we will move on to the next game when we play them again."