Dunfermline Press | Sport | Pars seek win bonus

Tuesday, 6th January, 2009

Published: Thursday, 4th October, 2007 08:05

Pars seek win bonus

THREE wins in a week would be the perfect tonic to take Stephen Kenny’s battle-weary Pars into a well-earned international break.

Saturday’s long trek to Dumfries to take on Queen of the South rounds off a punishing schedule which has seen Kenny’s troops face 14 games in just eight weeks.

It’s a run that has stretched Athletic’s squad to the limit but despite injuries to several established first-teamers, the Pars have lost just three of their last 12 matches.

And, having won their last two games 1-0 against Partick in the league and Ayr in the Challenge Cup on Tuesday night, Kenny is desperate to make it a hat-trick of victories at Palmerston on Saturday.

“The international break has come at a good time for us,” Kenny told Press Sport yesterday (Wednesday).

“I expect we will have a lot more players for the start of the second period of games against Hamilton. I think with the run of games we have had every few days both in Europe, the CIS Cup and the Challenge Cup, it takes its toll.

“After 120 minutes at Tynecastle and Saturday’s game, the players did well against Ayr, who gave us a really tough game on the night and it was a useful result that puts us in the final.

“We want to make it a good week and get three victories in a week. We will have to be at our best as we know they have had some decent results at home in the last couple of seasons.”

Darren Young is doubtful for Saturday but will be assessed at the end of the week before a decision is taken on whether he makes the trip. Stephen Simmons is likely to be ruled out after picking up a knock on his ankle against Ayr but Calum Woods and Bobby Ryan will be back for Saturday and they could be joined by Scott Muirhead, who has an outside chance of being involved depending on how training goes.

Scott Morrison and Kevin Harper are likely to return after the international break while Greg Shields has been told to have complete rest for a fortnight after a scan revealed a problem with a disc in his back.

“I think it was a good result against Partick because I think they will be in contention,” Kenny said. “We went 4-3-3 and I’m not saying it was hugely successful as we didn’t create an awful lot of chances but there was an honesty about the display and a good, collective effort from the players.

“They worked extremely hard for each other and that has to be a starting point as there must be complete commitment and a collective effort.

“We’ve got to concentrate on winning matches rather than worrying about league tables or winning the league and first and foremost winning at Queen of the South. We have to be more resolute than previously in our away games and we are going to have to make ourselves harder to beat. Maybe we tried to outplay teams and they countered us.”

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