Dunfermline striker Michael Moffat is hoping to celebrate the birth of his first child by booking the Pars’ place against Dundee United in the next round of the Scottish Cup.
The 30-year-old has had a whirlwind last 72 hours or so after his fiance Megan went into labour at the weekend, with baby boy Luka making his appearance at Kilmarnock’s Crosshouse Hospital late on Saturday.
Since then it’s been all about night feeds and nappies, but Moffat is determined to be back in the black and white of the Pars this evening as he aims to help his team knock Stranraer out at the second attempt.
“The labour process hadn’t really started by the time the football results came in, so I was checking how the boys were getting on,” he revealed.
“She was 12 days late so they had given us the dates for her to be induced.
“Unfortunately, it was Saturday they had booked her in for, which was about the only day I didn’t want it to be.
“I tried saying it couldn’t be that day because of the football, but the missus wasn’t having any of it.
“The baby came at about half past 11 on Saturday night, so I’ve said I could have been at the game and still made it to the birth!
“But that hasn’t gone down well either!”
Moffat has had to settle for a place on the Pars’ bench in recent games, but the former Ayr man is keen to add to the four goals he has netted thus far this season in tonight’s Scottish Cup replay.
The teams are having to do it all again after a 2-2 draw at Stair Park last time out.
He continued: “The team’s been doing well in the last couple of weeks; the boys that have come in have done well to keep the jerseys.
“So hopefully it’s just a case of waiting for your chance and then taking it.
“Getting a win against Stranraer would be a great way to celebrate the birth and becoming a dad for the first time.
“It will be a tough game but we felt we should have won the first game, so we’ll go into the game with plenty of confidence, especially being at home.
“There’s a good tie waiting for us in the next round if we can get through and that’s all the motivation we need, plus the way the game ended down there.
“We felt the injury-time was a bit long at the end of the last game and there were a few words said, so hopefully we can put it right in the replay.
“I’ll need to come up with a celebration, a dummy down the sock or something.
“I’ll need to think of something – and try and make sure I get the chance to use it!”