Manager on Friday
Friday, 20th Nov 201520/11/15: AJ - win at Airdrieonians and "performance was good as well"
Allan Johnston is just hoping that Saturday's match at Cliftonhill can go ahead after a string of postponements at the Coatbridge ground. Speaking exclusively to this website the Pars gaffer said:-
"By all accounts the opposition expect the game to be on and that is good news because we don't want to miss games, especially after a good result last week.
"You want to play the game and hopefully get the right result. Albion Rovers are on a good vein of form and they have been flying of late. They have done really well and gained a lot of confidence after coming up a division since last year.
"The game here was a tough test the last time the teams met so we know that it is going to be a tricky game."
Darren Young's team has exceeded the expectations of many fans who follow League One but Allan Johnston was not surprised since he has recognised that they are a good passing team with pace about them.
"We have to go to places like this, not an easy place to go, not the best of surfaces even when it is good and make sure that we get a result."
AJ was not sure if he had personally played at Cliftonhill but has experience of visits there when he was the manager of Queen of the South.
"It is not the best place but like Cowdenbeath, you go there to try and get the result. Hopefully we can improve on how we did at Cowdenbeath."
It is over thirty years since Dunfermline last played at the Albion Rovers ground and that will hopefully attract a sizeable crowd that will created a really good atmosphere.
"You need that when you go to places like this, you need the crowd to get right behind you and spur you on."
The win over Airdrieonians at the Excelsior last Saturday wasn't the only thing that pleased the Dunfermline boss with his first Lanarkshire encounter in this three match schedule away from East End Park:-
"The performance was good as well. We passed the ball a lot better that we have been in the last couple of weeks. We looked more of a threat going forward and obviously that shows with the goals we scored. When you look through the video we could probably have scored a few more as well just with a better final pass."
Other than the two long term injuries the squad will be missing Rhys McCabe. Lewis Spence has recovered from a fall on his shoulder during the Development League game against Hamilton Accies on Tuesday night and has trained. Joe Cardle has trained all week and according to the gaffer he is "totally fine".
Young striker James Thomas is recovering from a broken thumb that has kept him out of the Under 20s team recently. "He is a big player for the 20s and a good prospect as well, he has always been in around the first team so it would be good to get him back and playing again."
The Pars have been training on AstroTurf all week because the grass training ground has been soaking wet.
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