Dunfermline boss Jim Jefferies admits time is now his enemy as he strives to get his squad ready for the season’s big kick-off.
With just over a week until the first competitive fixture, Thursday night’s friendly against East Fife was, remarkably, the Pars’ first proper outing for his side meaning Jefferies is even more determined to give everyone in his side some vital game time to improve their match sharpness.
The Pars boss is now looking forward to Saturday’s game against Hearts after his team slumped to a 3-1 defeat.
”My intention is to use the friendly games to give our players a chance to show what they can do that won’t be the team that starts on the first day of the season,” he said.
”It’s just a learning curve for these guys a lot of them haven’t played together so I’ve told them not to get too down about the result.”
The home side started well and after Andy Kirk saw an early header saved, former East Fife striker Ryan Wallace tested Michael Brown after a neat interchange at the edge of the area in the ninth minute.
The visitors soon settled though and created chances of their own, firstly through Scott McBride’s free-kick in the 17th minute which skimmed the top of the net, and then through Alex King, who failed to get enough on his effort following Craig Johnstone’s cross.
Gordon Durie’s men did go in front four minutes later though after a mistake by trialist Stephen O’Halloran allowed Scott McBride to get a shot away.
His effort was parried by trialist keeper Graeme Smith but the ball was fed out to David Muir, whose cross was headed home at the back post by Fife trialist Collin Samuel – although the Pars trialist keeper should have done better.
Five minutes later, however, the Pars were level when Paul Willis got down the right and his low cross was turned into his own net by Scott Durie.
It may have been a pre-season friendly but it was still a Fife derby with a bit of needle, evident from a rash challenge by Gareth Wardlaw on Andy Geggan in the 35th minute which was lucky to go unpunished.
The visitors then stunned the home support by going ahead again four minutes before the break, with Durie scoring at the right end thanks to a low drive to the trialist keeper’s right.
The Pars rang the changes at the interval and brought on three trialists, including a surprise appearance by Ian Murray, while the visitors gave trialist Bob Malcolm another run out just six minutes into the half – this after sub Sean Jamieson saw his effort cleared off the line after rounding the keeper.
The subs had the effect of turning the game into a scrappy encounter, although the home side almost levelled in the 67th minute when Kirk sent his header from Willis’ cross just wide of target.
Former Scotland international Kevin Kyle, who has been training with Jefferies’ men, was then given a run-out for the last 20 minutes as he mulls over a permanent move to East End Park.
But it was East Fife who rounded off the scoring with just eight minutes to go when Jamieson curled a superb effort into the top left-hand corner from around 20 yards.
The home side finished well but it summed up their night when the ball was fizzed across goal in the dying stages, only for new signing, ex-Liverpool youth Alex Whittle, to pass up a glorious chance at the back post with the goal gaping.
Visiting boss Gordon Durie said: ”It was another good workout for us. These are good teams we’ve been playing against and I’m delighted. The team played well tonight and young Sean took his goal well.”
Photo David Wardle