CAINE MCINTYRE says he hopes to one day return to Dunfermline Rugby Club after confirming he is stepping down as head coach.

The former Blues player confirmed to Press Sport that last month's 60-15 loss to Gordonians – the club’s final match of the season – would be his last in the McKane Park hotseat.

He admitted that the campaign, which saw Dunfermline match last season’s finish of sixth in BT Caledonia Division One, had been a frustrating one and told Press Sport: “I am stepping down. I feel as though I have taken the team as far as I can and that I needed a bit more commitment and, if I’m not getting that or the players aren’t responding to how I want them to, then it is only right that I step aside and let someone else have a shot at it.

“The squad are at a crossroads over how they want to kick-on. It has been a tough and frustrating season for me; we’d be very good one week and then not so good the next, and attendance at training and for games hit peaks and troughs, sometimes naturally which you always get, especially when you go through the winter months.

“But to develop, you need those numbers there to drive each other forward. One or two have been exceptional in their commitment but it’s up to the playing group where the club goes next. The club have done a lot for them in terms of offering strength and conditioning and video analysis, and if the playing staff and coaches can come together as one, then they can be a prosperous group moving forward.

“I’m a young coach and will make mistakes so this has been a really good experience for me. I’ll probably take a year out, take stock, and do a bit more learning myself by going to different clubs and see how they do things.

“I have to say a massive thank you to president Hazel Swankie for giving me the opportunity and I’m sure it will stand me in good stead.”

McIntyre returned to McKane in a coaching capacity four years ago as assistant manager to Derek O’Riordan and took over as head coach in 2015 after the Irishman left prior to the club being relegated from BT National League Division Three.

Applicants interested in the role should email a coaching CV to Neil Donald at neildonaldwork20@gmail.com, and for more information, visit the club website at http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/dunfermlinerugbyfootballclub/news/head-coach-vacancy-1794066.html.