Dunfermline may have missed the chance to return to the top of the table seven days ago, but boss Jim Jefferies has told his Pars to keep plugging away.
The Fife club host fourth-placed Morton after failing to regain top spot last weekend following a goal-less draw at home to leaders Forfar.
But Jefferies insists there is no point dwelling on a missed opportunity when three points at home to Morton this afternoon might well be enough to see them reclaim pole position.
“The bottom line is, we are on a good run and there should be no despondency at all,” he stressed.
“Against Forfar we just didn’t do enough. We had enough of the ball but we didn’t do enough in the last third to create chances to win the game.
“But we knew the young boys would improve and the proof is there – seven out of 10 clean sheets.
“If you tell me that in the next 10 games that I am going to have seven clean sheets, I will take your hand off now.”
While the defensive side of things has been shored up, Jefferies conceded that the Pars’ decision-making, particularly in the final third, has not been of the highest quality in recent games although that is something he and his squad have been trying to put right this week.
Morton, meanwhile, will head to East End Park hoping to repeat their heroics of last month when a 2-1 win at Cappielow knocked the Pars off top spot.
A Conor Pepper header 14 minutes from time gave the Greenock men full points on that occasion, but it was a game Jefferies felt the Pars did not deserve to lose.
“We are at home this time and hopefully we will improve,” he explained.
“We were there to be shot at, we didn’t deal with it but nearly got away with it.
“For all their domination they were just 1-0 up and we got a penalty.
“We were the team looking more likely to score but we switched off at two occasions and got punished.
“Over the 90 minutes they didn’t deserve to win, but hopefully over the next 90 minutes we win and we deserve to win.”
Defender Stuart Urquhart and forwards Allan Smith and Ryan Thomson all came through an Under 20s match in midweek unscathed and will be available, although Ryan Wallace is likely to remain out for several weeks yet.
Wallace is still recovering from a stress fracture in his pelvis and Jefferies admitted it would be a “bonus” to have the forward back before Christmas.