The Toun Clock

Aye it's really good! There was a time in mid to late January where things felt particularly bad, and I wondered if we'd actually see Bene, KRH and Matty Todd at all this season so to have them all back and playing well is great.

Just had a quick read of the managers pre-match comments and it's all fairly positive apart from the fact it looks like Ben Summers will miss out with a back injury that hasn't really improved this week. Rhys Breen and more importantly Chris Kane are back in the squad. I have a feeling he might stick with the winning team and keep Kane on the bench but who knows. Plus Andy Tod Jnr and Xavier Benjamin are available too, they just didn't make the bench due to having *wait for it* too many fit players WEYHEY!

I listen to both OpenGoal and The Terrace and enjoy doing so. You know what you're getting from each podcast as well and it's just a part of my week.

Can't see a thread so thought I'd start one. Big game for both, can Morton end their run of four defeats on the spin or will the Pars add more misery following their beating of the league leaders? A place we've won at already this season, however very different times. Morton were yet to find themselves in any real form at that point with injuries etc and we were in the early days of survival mode, missing most big hitters but scraping by, after this game I feel we regressed up until late January. The last few weeks have certainly been more promising with wins over Thistle, Ayr and Dundee Utd however losses against Airdrie and Raith in amongst that leave us wondering what Dunfermline will show up. When I looked at our remaining games prior to Friday it was the one causing me most concern. Cappielow hasn't really been a happy hunting ground and up until recently Morton were consistently the form team in the division. However, a rejuvenated Pars squad hopefully with Chris Kane back in the team coming off that good win on Friday could have enough to take the points. What's changed at Cappielow, Ton fans? Purely down to George Oakley missing and low numbers in the squad? A win would take the Pars above Morton into 5th (Morton with a game in hand) and just a point behind Airdrie who aren't playing this weekend. I reckon if the Ton win this one they'll put to bed any concern of getting sucked into the challenge to avoid 9th. FWIW, I still think it'll be either Morton or Airdrie who finish 4th and to be fair I'm okay with that this season.

Home win please.

If Jakubiak plays like he did on Friday night then I don't mind how prolific in-front of goal he is. The boys definitely got it, that wasn't two haddies from lower league opposition, that was apparently the best the league has to offer, and he had them on toast. I thought Jakubiak had signed a deal that would see him up until the end of next season but could be wrong. Sad to say, but if you offered me the chance to keep one of Jak or McCann then I'd be going for the former every day of the week at the moment. The more this season goes I can see Lewis McCann being a squad player, backup for that wide left role. Good asset to have if he puts in the effort.

I can understand the doubts over Kane from people outside of the Pars. They see this guy we go on about a lot, no assists, no goals etc. The kids had the most unfortunate of seasons, I think Friday was only his 8th appearance of the season so it's going to be hard to build up any momentum. Hopefully Friday will refute the opinion that he's not good enough. What I do think is odd, is members of our own crowd who in recent times have started to say things like "a few good games in League 1, not good enough for Championship WAH WAH WAH". Matty Todd makes us tick. Again, he'll get stick from Raith fans because we seen him as our main man and he's hardly kicked a ball this season. However, in his couple of games before Christmas where he had returned he scored twice. Then on his second return to the team he scored, and has now scored again. He's the man and teams will find that out very soon. It was pleasing to win on Friday, not because it was a convincing win, not because it was Dundee Utd but because we also done it without Chris Kane. He's only been in the door a few weeks but the contrast in difference of us playing with him and without is mega. So for us to go and put the top dogs in the division away without your main striker is very pleasing indeed.

Funnily enough after the Raith game last week I had a scan at our remaining and made a wee list of where I thought we could get points. I think I said we’d get a point last night but that we’d take nothing from Cappielow as it felt like the toughest game/venue still to go. Remaining games - Home: Thistle, Queens Park, Inverness Away: Morton, Arbroath, Airdrie, Ayr I’m fairly happy with how the run in lands. We seen the pasting we got off Morton at home recently so not overly fussed if we play them home or away. However I’d rather not have to go to Inverness, Hampden or Firhill. We’ve won at Cappielow and Airdrie with depleted squads this season. I think we’re better than both Ayr and Arbroath and can go there and win.

Ian Murray

I wouldn’t be shocked if there’s a wee gentlemen’s agreement somewhere, stay and see us right this year and you can go in the summer. I’d heard he’s signed a PCA with the Jam Tarts but could be rubbish.

Was a 6 fig offer in the summer and in January as well. Was confirmed in papers and by the club.

Squad will probably be as good as it has been, in terms of filling a bench etc although someones now said on here Benedictus will be missing again so that is a blow.

Seen that, looks decent but as you say it'll be cut up in no time. Huge blow if that's the case. Despite the result everything just felt a wee bit more settled and secure with Bene there last week, what happens now do we lose Hammy from the middle of the park, just impacting us all over. No chance Fisher will be ready to start. What a lot of pish. After tonight we play everyone else outside the top two, that are so far away from everyone else. Our games against Raith and Dundee Utd won't define our season, it's the next 7 games that will. A win would be nice tonight but a loss won't relegate us tonight. The other teams will likely have to still play Raith and Dundee Utd.

Just back in from a walk with the dog, it's fairly mild out there and no more rain forecast for the rest of the day so I'm hoping we'll be good to go now.

It's been lighter rain than yesterday but still raining. I hope it's on, with or without Chris Kane (he's definitely out) I want this game on. The drainage at East End is pretty good, so when it's not freezing it usually copes quite well. There was a game in the autumn where it had rained so heavy for about a week and the game was on, I was shocked so I think we'll be okay today. It's not meant to rain much between now and 4 o'clock and then not at all after that, BBC Weather even teasing a bit of evening sunshine. How good will the football be? Terrible. People might think they've tuned in to one of those Scottish football re-runs from decades one by, it'll be a mud bath. I suppose it means if the game is off we'll be looking at a midweek fixture as all other weekends are booked out until the end of the season. I'd sooner we're getting players plenty rest through the week in these final eight games.

May be tempting fate here but this season I've always thought we could beat Dundee Utd, probably just down to them having some inconsistencies and not just blowing teams away. Whereas oddly I've always went into every derby this season thinking we might lose, Raith just have our number this season. Tonight will be our best chance to beat Utd with players we have back, however seems almost certain Chris Kane will again miss out which is a major issue. If we don't concede early and stay in the game I always think we can nick something. Pressure all on Utd to increase their lead at the top. After tonight we play the other teams from 3rd to 10th, those are the games we must be going to take points. Dunfermline aren't really expected to win tonight.

The East End Park Corridor, game will be played at the width of the 18 yard box.

For anyone interested, if you jump over to the EEB forum, there is a pretty good rundown of last nights supporters meeting. I think it was for members of supporters clubs etc hence why no open invite. Decent read and should hopefully add some meat to the bones and put some rumours to bed about missing out on guys for the sake of £100pw etc. Supporters Meeting 14/03/24 - The East End Bounce - East End Bounce - The Independent Pars Fans Forum

Don't want to go back down the dodgy pitch route but it has not stopped hooring it down in Dunfermline all day, and the weather forecast for tomorrow is to be just as bad, up until about 5pm. Wonder if there's any concern for the game going ahead?

If we played Arbroath every week, I'd have Wighton up front every week. He seems to score against them every time we play. I thought he done well last season. He's a good footballer and you can see when we've got the luxury of being ahead with a bit of a cushion and the flicks and tricks come out, he's pretty good but he just isn't a centre forward. Should we stay up (which I do think we will), I think there'll be a bit of change in the final third for next season, given how poor we've been there this season. I'm not saying he'll get paid up, or anyone for that matter as we certainly don't have that cash but I wouldn't be shocked if he's not seen as the #9. Again, he might have this decent rest and come back to pre-season staking his claim.

What actually is his issue, knee?

Wighton also out for the season apparently.

I think the Courier reported yesterday that Kane, Andy Tod Jnr and Sam Fisher were all in contention. Challenge Cup game aside where we fielded our U-17's, our games with Utd have all been close. Two draws in the league up at Tannadice and narrowly lost at East End. Our squad should be as good as it has been all season so I think we have a chance to take something again, especially of Chris Kane returns.

Can you tell me where I sign up for this job please? Six figures for a day or two’s work sounds absolutely smashing. No doubt it’s a completely terrible act, I’m embarrassed to be a Pars fan this season due to some of the off the pitch stuff and of-course on the pitch this season but that’s not six figures worth of damage, not even close.

This is all very true. I was talking about the guy who does the Raith TV interviews on our match thread last week, he’s very good and as you say sounds like there’s natural rapport there.