James McPake insists his Dunfermline players adopt a winning mentality – even if they’re playing table tennis

Dunfermline manager James McPake has dismissed the importance of results in preseason – but that hasn’t stopped him from trying to forge a winning mentality.

The Pars have picked up three wins from three in their friendly matches so far, scoring 10 and keeping a clean sheet in each.

The latest was a 2-0 victory away to Stenhousemuir in a behind-closed-doors match, with Paul Allan and Matty Todd on the scoresheet.

McPake said that Sunday saw the coaching staff ease off the players a little before the hard work starts again today ahead of Tuesday night’s friendly versus Kilmarnock.

After that the competitive action starts away East Fife in the Premier Sports Cup on Saturday.

“For Kilmarnock, we’ll work hard,” said the Dunfermline manager. “It will be a good game for us.

“It will be a good test against Derek [McInnes] and Tony [Docherty], with his team just being promoted.”

Excellent ‘to a man’

McPake added that while he doesn’t read too much into results at this stage he has been impressed with the response of his players.

Before Saturday’s victory against Stenhousemuir, Dunfermline defeated Cove Rangers
2-0 and Forfar Athletic 6-0.

🎥 The goals from last night's 6-0 pre season win. pic.twitter.com/TggoqG0kd6

— Dunfermline Athletic (@officialdafc) June 29, 2022

What is important, according to McPake, is the desire to be a winner. “Results are not the important thing in a preseason,” he said.

“Whether it’s table tennis, or whatever you’re playing, you want to win. We’re trying to build that into the players.

“They’ve been great. A lot of credit to the players because they’ve been fantastic since the first day they come back. They’ve worked really hard.

“We’re not trying to reinvent anything, but maybe we can show the younger ones that they can go to a different level.

“I saw that in Craig Wighton, I’ve spoken about that on record, seeing him in rehab – and he knows he has different levels [he can go to].

“To a man they’ve been excellent, I can’t applaud them enough for the effort they’ve shown show far. But it’s still preseason.”