Scully and Ayr Re-United

"You can always expect a tough game at Somerset Park no matter who you are."

Saturday's will be the fourth of at least five games that Dunfermline Athletic will face Ayr United this season and Ryan Scully is getting familiar with the opposition who even chose to share Newcastle last Saturday night as both club's players chose the same destination for their Christmas blow out. Ayr were licking their wounds after defeat by Rangers earlier that day while the Pars players were thankful that their keeper had kept Forfar out so that a 94th minute goal from Jordan Moore meant they didn't hit Tyneside after defeat. Ryan gave his thoughts:-

"The result wasn't the greatest but having played that bad we were lucky to take the point that we did." He identified a problem that is not new:-

"We need to stop losing the first goal in games, I don't know what it is, maybe we switch off and that's what it takes to get going. We can't keep giving teams gifts like that and expect to come back all the time. Hopefully in this week's game we score first and keep it that way."

The on loan keeper has started every Pars game this season and has had his loan period from Partick Thistle extended until the end of the season:-

"It is perfect for me because if I went back to Partick Thistle I could be sitting on the bench or playing for the under 20s but I am here playing competitive games and enjoying every minute of it; it has been good. I've been number two at Thistle which has been brilliant but I needed to start playing games and when the opportunity came about to stay I thought aye, let's get it done."

The 21 year old has developed a relationship with his just as young back four and is clear what the target is this season at East End Park:-

"It was going to take its time and we were going to make mistakes. We knew at the start that with the squad Rangers had, that they would be up there and favourites. We just need to concentrate on getting that play off spot, we are second just now and hopefully we can keep going.

"We have played everybody in the league and felt that we have been the better team every single time, even when we played Rangers.

Ryan who has only got one year left on his contract at Thistle predicts that Ayr will be another tough game:-

"In the first game we won 5-1 but that was just a freak game. In the last two games we have seen that they are very organised and they have the big Kyle who is a handful. You can always expect a tough game at Somerset Park no matter who you are."

Ayr have not beaten Dunfermline in the three meetings thus far this season but Ryan is wary that the Honest Men will be out to seek revenge:-

"It was a sore one to take getting knocked out the Scottish Cup, especially having drawn Rangers in the next round. I would expect them to go for us on Saturday."