28 days in Brechin

"I didn't really get to make a mark and there was nothing I could do really.

Pars young striker Allan Smith spent a very short loan period at Brechin City in 2012 but he hopes to be more successful when he returns to play against them:-

"I wasn't there for long, maybe a month, and it was when they weren't winning many games. The first game when I was there I went on when they were already 3-0 down to Queen of the South and after that game the manager got sacked, so it wasn't a good situation.

"It wasn't great. I didn't really speak to any of the boys either - they were friendly though, but with all the stuff going down they all had their own problems. So it wasn't a good time for me coming in.

"I remember that game when I played against Queen of the South, they were the only full-time team in the division. When I came on I just ran after the ball.

"Then after that the manager got sacked, I played two games after that and I came on when they were 3-0 down and 3-1 down - something like that. I didn't really get to make a mark and there was nothing I could do really.

"The manager didn't really know me at all, and the new manager didn't even speak to me.  So I'm glad to be back in Dunfermline! If I got a chance to go out on loan again I wouldn't keep that in mind because that doesn't usually happen, but that's football.  Brechin was a good club and the boys were pretty friendly, but I was only there for 28 days or something like that.

"I just trained on a Tuesday and Thursday through at Grangemouth, Ross Millen's dad helped out at training so that was a bonus, so the training was good, but unfortunately I wasn't there long and we didn't win many games.

"Ray McKinnon was quite quiet when I was there, but I think that was because he didn't know anyone. That's the first time I've ever been out on loan, so I can't compare it to any other times."

Allan returned to Dunfermline in October 2012 after less than 45 minutes in total for the Glebe Park club. His Pars debut followed in March this year and he played in 14 of the Pars fixtures, scoring twice in the play offs.  Injured since the Hearts pre-season game, Allan has only just exceeded his Brechin minutes since but he has scored two goals in those appearances off the bench:-

"It's going well, I'm enjoying it. I just need to get fitter, sharper, and keep training with Potts (John Potter), Neil McCann and the gaffer. When we got beaten by Arbroath, I was sitting in the stand and we shouldn't have been beaten. But we're doing well though - we can't complain.  We've just to try and get another result on Saturday."

The 19 year old has not set specific targets for this season but claimed that as players they have got targets every day in training:-

"I've got to improve all the time.  I haven't started a game this season so I've just got to keep doing my best and see what happens with the selection on Saturday.  Lionel Messi is my favourite player and if anyone argues the case, he is the best player without a doubt.

"But I don't really compare myself to anyone. I just do my own thing and see what happens. Potts is a major help, he tells me when I'm doing things well and I take it on board.  Everyone helps really but Potts looks after me - he's a father figure to a few of the boys and pulls everything together when times are low."