Having only just had their promotion dreams dashed, James McPake has confessed Dunfermline still have work to do to ensure they are not dragged into a relegation dogfight.
Such has been the nature of the Pars’ see-saw season, the visit of Queen’s Park on Saturday represents a pivotal moment – just a week on from another against Airdrie.
The 2-1 defeat to the Diamonds last Saturday left the Fifers nine points adrift of their hosts in the race for fourth spot and the play-off place that goes with it.
With just three games remaining it killed off the lingering hopes that had risen following a sequence of just two defeats from their previous ten outings.
Prior to that impressive run, McPake’s side had languished in ninth in the table and in danger of dropping straight back down to League One.
Now sitting fifth, that is now unlikely – but not yet ruled out.
The East End Park men have a six-point advantage over Queen’s Park in the relegation play-off place and a four-point lead over Inverness Caley Thistle in eighth.
But given that duo are Dunfermline’s next two opponents, there is – as always in a rollercoaster Championship – scope for everything to quickly change.
‘Pars have been fighting on two fronts’
“It is a big game,” said McPake of Saturday’s visit of Queen’s Park.
“As much as the talk was about going to beat Airdrie to try and get into the promotion play-offs, at the back of our minds, the way this league is, you know you are fighting on two fronts most of the time.
“Take the top four away and every other team is still fighting.
“Historically, this league is like that. Going into the last game of last season there was only Raith Rovers with nothing to play for.
“It is a dangerous game with Queen’s Park coming here. They will be hurting off the back of a defeat to Inverness and they are desperate for points – but so are we.”
McPake was upset with his team’s display in such a crucial encounter against Airdrie last weekend.
He said afterwards his players had got all that they deserved out of the match in the 2-1 loss.
“On the whole the performance needs to be better,” he added. “It is the only thing that we can concentrate on, I’m pretty consistent with that.
“This is another tough, tough game against a team coming fighting for their lives who will be scrapping and scraping to do everything they can to go away from here with three points.
“We need to stand up to that.”
