The last player to pull on the gloves for Dunfermline in the Scottish Cup was club captain Austin McCann.
The left-back is under no illusions his impact on the competition as a Pars goalkeeper was anything but glorious, but he thinks the same won’t be said of whichever of the two stoppers manager Jim McIntyre deputises for suspended regular Chris Smith at Aberdeen on Sunday. As all three substitutes had been used, McCann went between the posts when Smith was sent off late on in the fourth-round replay against Montrose, but it was an experience he endured rather than enjoyed.
He said, “I thought I was doing a good deed by going in goal but I’ve taken some amount of stick for it. The lads have been saying I dived out of the way of the penalty.
“I was looking about and the only player I could see who was keen was Nicky Phinn. He’s the height of nothing so I thought I’d do it.”
He added, “There were only a few minutes to play but it felt like longer and I’d have felt more comfortable if we’d had a few more goals of a lead.”
The contenders to replace Smith in the televised match at Pittodrie are Kyle Allison and Greg Paterson.
McCann has faith in both and will do all he can to ensure the enforced change doesn’t become an issue.
He said, “Kyle’s been patient throughout the season and he’ll be ready to come in for Chris.
“And young Greg Paterson has worked really hard to come back from a serious injury. The two of them are in contention and I’ll be more than happy with whoever the manager chooses.
“Sometimes it can actually help you to be thrown into the deep end in such a big game. I’ve had my own experience of being told an hour before kick off that I’m playing. The manager might choose to do that.”Promotion the aimMcCann was part of the Pars side that knocked Aberdeen out of the competition a couple of seasons ago.
He said, “We got a good draw at East End and then managed to beat them on penalties. It was a tough task then and it will be tough again but we’ll be looking to pull off the same result. Their form has picked up under Craig Brown and Archie Knox.”
Everyone at Dunfermline knows what their priority is this season promotion from the first division.
McCann believes Sunday’s match can benefit their title push.
He added, “Dunfermline have been down in the first division for a few years now so clearly winning promotion is our main aim this season.
“We’ve been really disappointed with how things have gone in the league recently. We want to get our form back and hopefully the cup will do that for us.
“The cup is a bonus but that’s not how you feel when the game has started.”‘Big disappointment’As well as being spurred on by what he has previously achieved at Pittodrie, the former Hearts and Airdrie full-back is motivated by more painful memories from later in that same cup run.
He said, “It was a big disappointment to lose in the semi-final to Falkirk a couple of years ago. We didn’t play well. I don’t know what it’s like to lose a final, but losing a semi was tough.”
New loan signing Kevin Rutkiewicz is in the squad and could line up against his former team.
Aberdeen manager Craig Brown banned all his players except captain Paul Hartley from being pictured with the cup until they win it.
He said, “I do not like players being pictured holding up the cup when they have not won it. I do not mind Paul Hartley going to Hampden and posing with the trophy as he has won it twice, but the rest have to earn the right to lift it.
“I am not superstitious in any way but it is tempting fate.”
David McNamee will miss the tie with a groin strain but both Nikola Vujadinovic and Ryan Jack have recovered from injuries picked up against Celtic and are available, along with Sone Aluko.