A glance at the Championship table is enough to make any Dunfermline supporter feel queasy.
However, Dan Pybus’ last outing at East End Park took nausea to a new extreme.
The combative midfielder was sick several times on the pitch during the Pars’ 2-2 draw against Kilmarnock as he fought a chest infection.
He was ultimately replaced on the hour-mark but must be commended for an all-action showing.
And Pybus has lifted the lid on ‘a nightmare’ situation, revealing that he felt like he had been ‘hit on the head with a hammer’ in the days prior to the fixture.
“I was sick four or five times in the first half,” said Pybus. “I couldn’t stop being sick — it was a nightmare.
“I had a chest infection. I was just coughing non-stop. I was hot then cold, then had a really sore head.
“But I hadn’t been sick until Saturday so that was a bit of a strange one!
“In the days before the game, I texted the physio at 4.10 a.m. on Thursday saying, ‘I won’t be able to make training’.
“I felt like I had been hit on the head with a hammer. I ended up getting up and having a cup of tea in the middle of the night to try and get some sugar into me. I couldn’t sleep and felt horrendous.
“I missed training on Thursday and then I tried to go in on Friday but I struggled.”
Pybus adds, rather understandably: “It was touch and go whether I even turned up for the game last weekend.
“But, me being the person I am, I said ‘I can’t miss that’.”
Luck WILL turn
Pybus’ gutsy attitude mirrored the performance of the team.
The Pars twice fought back from behind against Tommy Wright’s title-favourites, culminating in Aaron Comrie’s 95th-minute leveller.
And while Dunfermline remain winless at the foot of the Championship, the former Queen of the South man is determined to accentuate the positives.
The Fifers have only lost once in their last five outings, albeit four of those were draws.
Dom Thomas celebrating Aaron Comrie's 95th minute with admirable restraint and calmness in front of his adoring Kilmarnock public 😬😂
🎥 @officialdafc // @DomThomas23 pic.twitter.com/WkY1hwg07U
— Alan Temple (@alanftemple) October 17, 2021
“In those five games, we’ve played teams that could be seen as the top-four — Inverness, Hamilton, Raith away and Kilmarnock,” added Pybus.
“Four very good sides and we haven’t been beaten by them. There are plenty of positives to take.
“The luck will turn and, when it does, I think we’ll go on a run and get up that table to where we should be.”
Firhill for thrills
Dunfermline’s latest attempt to put a win on the board comes against Partick Thistle, the top scorers in the Championship with 23 goals.
But Pybus is now cowed by the prospect of a visit to Firhill.
“We have lost the same number of games as Partick Thistle have,” Pybus added.
“The difference is we’ve not been scoring as many goals, and conceding some terrible ones.
“People will say Partick Thistle are flying — they’re doing really well — but we’ve just not won the games we should have.”
