Manager on Friday

23/07/10:- JM " It will be a really tough game and they will get a lift from coming to our ground, lovely pitch and nice stadium. We have to approach it in a positive manner ...

Jim McIntyre is not expecting an easy start when the ALBA Challenge Cup kicks off on Saturday:-

"We will not read anything into how Arbroath have done in their pre season games because we have been pretty bad in a few of ours. It will be a really tough game and they will get a lift from coming to our ground, lovely pitch and nice stadium. We have to approach it in a positive manner and make sure that we work as hard as we possibly can. Hopefully the better players on the day produce."

Arbroath were no easy push over when they came to Dunfermline in last season's Challenge Cup. From that 2-1 win the Pars can only field five of the team that started last August:- Austin McCann, Chris Higgins, David Graham, Steven Bell and Andy Kirk.  The Manager maintains that you just don't get easy games:-

"For the so called better players it is all about working just as hard as the opposition, trying to score early and making it a comfortable afternoon.  They got a good result against Dundee; Arbroath are a decent side but it is up to us to get off to a winning start and get a wee bit of momentum going."

The Manager added that the team that turned up on Wednesday night is the one he is wanting to see on Saturday:-

"We pressed the ball really well and we were difficult to get through. I was really happy with Wednesday night but we need to make sure that when we lose the ball we are not too wide open or stretched. Against Aberdeen we were narrow, condensed and forced them wide."

Definitely out of the first competitive game of the season are Willie Gibson (achilles), Alex Burke (calf) and Greg Paterson (broken leg) but Gibson who has missed most of pre season is expected to be back doing light running on Monday. Burke might be out for a few weeks yet with the tear on his calf.

Last Season's Challenge Cup v Arbroath

DUNFERMLINE: Greg Fleming; Greg Ross, Chris Higgins, Austin McCann, Stephen Glass; David Graham, Steven Bell (Nick Phinn 75), Alex Burke, Willie Gibson (Joe Cardle 67); Andy Kirk (Steven McDougall 80), Graham Bayne
SUBS: Craig Bald (GK), Graeme Holmes
YELLOW CARD: Gibson (42)
SCORERS: Kirk (49), Bell (68)

ARBROATH: Darren Hill; Steven Doris (Kevin McMullan 58), Mark McCulloch, Ian Dobbins, Jamie Bishop, Alan Rattray, Paul Lunan, Keith Gibson, Steve Hislop (Kevin Milne 90 +3), Barry Sellars, Paul Watson (Jamie Redman 71).
SUBS: Daryl Burns (GK), Steven Rennie
SCORER: Redman (73)
RED CARD: Dobbin (88)
YELLOW CARD: Rattray (88)

REFEREE: George Salmond
WEATHER: Sunny 20C
ATTENDANCE: 1034
MATCH PICTURES