THE SPL’s new boys, Dunfermline, are set to play their first pre-season friendly at Livingston , but manager Jim McIntyre won’t be setting the bar high for his players as far as the result of the match is concerned.
Up to 20 members of his squad could see action at some stage of the clash between last season’s first and second division champions.
With that in mind, McIntyre believes the game can only be looked upon as a stepping-stone towards regaining match sharpness.
The East End Park boss explained, “We’ll try and give everybody a part of the match. The idea is to get game time into as many players as possible.
“The first match is about getting the legs moving again and looking at a team formation. It’s about match fitness as well. I don’t place any importance on results at this stage.
“As you get closer to the start of the season you look for a bit more consistency, but at the present time it’s all about getting minutes on the park.
“Touch wood, nobody’s pulled out of training so far, so everybody should be available.”UnitedDundee United coach Paul Hegarty will swap Station Park for Slovenia today, as he spies on Europa League opponents Slask Wroclaw.
While the Tangerines are put through their paces by Forfar in a friendly, Hegarty will be thousands of miles away watching the Poles play Dinamo Zagreb in Maribor.
“It is important to be able to see Slask play, and I will be reporting back my findings when I get home,” said Hegarty.
He will be hoping this trip is rather less eventful than his mission to Athens last year to watch AEK, when a riot took place on the pitch and the Greek fans attacked their own manager Dusan Bajevic.
Meanwhile, the trip to Forfar has come too early for injured Garry Kenneth and Danny Swanson.
Kenneth is nursing a hamstring injury picked up against Bohemians during their trip to Dublin, while Swanson is to undergo further tests on his back and hamstrings as he strives to be fit for the new season.
Likely to play is on-trial Gary Mackay-Steven, who will be signed by United if or when they sell striker David Goodwillie.
Loons fans should have the opportunity to see new signings Stevie Crawford, Kevin Byers and Kevin Motion in action.Montrose FCElsewhere in Angus, Montrose play host to Stenhousemuir in a friendly at Links Park this afternoon.
The Gable Endies have also lined up a match against junior club Tayport at Canniepairt on July 23.
Defender Gordon Pope has left Montrose to join Emirates Scottish Junior Cup winners Auchinleck Talbot.
The 22-year-old, who has been at Links Park for the last two-and-a-half years, hails from Ayrshire, and his move does not surprise Gable Endies boss Ray Farningham.
“Gordon said at the end of last season that he wanted to play somewhere closer to home and we wish him well,” said Farningham.