Manager on Thursday

Jim Jefferies hopes to take a full strength squad to Forfar on Saturday but last week's casualty Gregor Buchanan remains a doubt.

The Pars gaffer discussed what might be awaiting his team at Station Park:-

"Dick has an experienced team and he will be getting them fired up. He has two or three young players in his team but he has signed Derek Young, and Stephen Husband will be out to prove a point. We will be well warned.

We went up there and lost last season but the goals we lost that day were ridiculous. We played better when losing 4-0 and probably didn't play so well the next time when we won 4-2. It is never an easy place to go and any club going up there will say it is a difficult fixture."

JJ pointed out that on top of the astro pitch and the experienced players in the Forfar squad, the strong Dunfermline connections always adds spice to this fixture.

"I think they always give that bit extra because of the connections. Gavin Swankie was missing last week for them but I always think that he is one of the better players in the league. They have good young players in wide areas and we will have to be well up for this game.

"We need to get our football going and hopefully play at a tempo that can catch them. It is one of the harder away games on the fixture card; the stats tell you that and it is never easy. Forfar are one of two or three teams in our league who can give you a tough time."

Jim Jefferies was pleased that his team won through to the next round of both the League Cup and Petrofac Training Cup but disappointed that they could not take three points from the opening league fixture against Brechin City. He continued:-

"There were a lot of passes that were just that fraction short. We like to zip it in and they work a lot on their touch. We have a lot of players in the team that have good touches."

It is early days in the league campaign and Jim Jefferies stressed it is just the first away game of the season:-

"I will start worrying about the league when we are ten games into it. You will have played everybody, you know what you have to do. You look at where you are and if you are a bit behind you need to pick up in the second phase.

"There is a long long way to go. We are two points behind with 105 to play for, so that is not too bad a season."

The Manager feels that Saturday might just come too soon for last Saturday's casualty, Gregor Buchanan.

"If he shows the same progress he could definitely be in contention for midweek if he shows the same progress. We expected him to be out for two or three games but there is not any damage in there other a swollen ankle. He just jarred it and sprained it and Kenny Murray our physio has done a good job getting all the bruising out. He took him into the sea and along with the treatment he is getting he seems to be improving fast."

The Manager would not say any more other than that he is "little closer" to adding to his squad. "I might have an answer on that over the weekend" he added "we are getting there."

Alex Whittle, the Pars first goalscorer of this competitive season, jarred his knee this week. He was left out of the under 20s game on Monday but trained on Thursday and as long as there is no reaction he will be back in the squad for Saturday. Ryan Thomson missed last weekend due to a training ground injury caused by Gozie Ugwo but he is back fit and well. Josh Falkingham is now free from suspension and only Gregor Buchanan is the only doubt.