James McPake expects Scottish League 1 pace-setters FC Edinburgh to come to East End Park to attack.
Alan Mabury’s men are the surprise leaders at this stage of the season and take on Dunfermline Athletic for Saturday’s top-of-the-table clash.
The Pars sit in second, two points behind FC Edinburgh, but have played one game fewer.
McPake wants his charges to “get after” the visitors and anticipates they will do the same.
The Pars manager expects the capital side’s approach to be like that of Falkirk and Airdrie.
“Edinburgh will come and have a go to try and win and that suits us,” said McPake.
“You see when we go to Alloa and teams come out and have a go at us, it is easier.
“It always is tough but the message that we try and get across to the players is just to relax when that does happen.
“We don’t need to score in the first ten minutes, we don’t need to panic and make wrong decisions.”
Eye-catching result
Dunfermline won the previous meeting between the sides this season at Meadowbank.
That was the Pars’ best performance of the season so far, according to McPake.
Since then the capital side have won seven of their 10 matches in all competitions.
Their standout result is the 6-0 win at Airdrie, not diminished in the eyes of the Pars boss by the fact it came against 10 men.
“How often have I sat and bemoaned the fact that we could have scored six and we have not, so fair play to Edinburgh for doing that at Airdrie,” said McPake.
“They are a threat – and a real threat from set plays. That is one of their big strengths.”
Team news
Paul Allan and Kevin O’Hara remain sidelined but Lewis McCann is expected to make his return to the squad.
McPake said the player is “desperate” to be involved despite not training at the start of the week.
The striker scored a brace in that last meeting between the sides, missing a penalty in between.
“He was a handful that day and he has been getting back to that recently so we want him on the pitch,” said the Pars boss.
“He still has a bit of a niggle but we think that he will be okay to be in the squad.
“We will see in the next few hours how he reacts to that but I spoke to him there and he seems fine.”
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