James McPake has hailed his Dunfermline Athletic players for battling through adversity after suffering yet more injury heartache in the 2-2 draw with Ayr United.
The Pars made a stunning start thanks to Alex Jakubiak’s double inside the first 10 minutes at Somerset Park.
But goals from Aiden McGeady and Frankie Musonda meant the Fifers had to settle for just a point.
Yet again, however, the biggest talking point was the misfortune the East End Park men continue to suffer with injuries.
Skipper Kyle Benedictus made his comeback from two months out with a thigh strain and limped off in discomfort at the end of the 90 minutes.
He was a second-half substitute for Rhys Breen, who had issues with his hamstring in just his second game back from eight weeks on the sidelines with the same problem.
Michael O’Halloran also had to be replaced late on, whilst Ewan Otoo pulled out before the game to join Matty Todd, Lewis McCann and Chris Hamilton in dropping out from the 1-1 draw with Arbroath.
McPake said: “It’s not easy. It’s just frustrating for the players when they keep getting injured.
“Particularly the ones who have been out already, and I’ve been that player that’s been out.
Assess injuries
“Hopefully Breeny’s will be okay. We’re hoping it’s just a cramp issue and we’ve caught that in time.
“It’s been a heavy period for him coming back in after the long lay-off. We’ll assess that.
“Michael had been ill in the second half of the week, so there was never a plan for Michael to play the 90 minutes anyway.
“So, for him to give us what he had is great.”
Turning to Benedictus, he added: “We’ll assess Kyle in the morning. He didn’t look comfortable at all.
“It’s his thigh again. I’m not quite sure if it’s in the exact same bit but I’m gutted for him.
“He’s our captain, he’s a massive part of our football club.
“We might be lucky with it, we’ll wait and see.
“But going over the injuries we’ve had this season then I wouldn’t put my hat on that.”
On the pitch, Ayr United manager Lee Bullen confessed Dunfermline could have been out of sight by half-time given their dominance early on.
And McPake has saluted the Pars for ensuring they at least took a point following Ayr’s stirring second-half comeback.
He added: “In terms of overall play and chances created in the first-half, we were certainly well worthy of the 2-0 lead.
‘Bitterly disappointed’
“It could have been more. It felt really comfortable.
“In the second-half, it looked like we were hanging on, and we probably were, with everything that had gone on in the game – the change of personnel, the change of shape three or four times.
“It was a really tough one, particularly when you’re 2-0 up.
“But I’ve got real pride in that group, that we managed to salvage something from that game.
“They were bitterly disappointed. Any time you go 2-0 up in a game, as a player, manager, coach or a fan, it’s a hammer blow to you when the other team gets back to 2-2.
“That group of players had to get themselves back on their feet and they went again, which is a real credit to them.”
