Published: Thursday, 23rd April, 2009 2:20pm

Macca's cup message

Comments (1) | Print | Email

'DON'T come off the pitch with any regrets. Go and embrace it, go and enjoy it and express yourself.'

These are the words which Pars boss Jim McIntyre will use to fire up his players as Athletic bid to reach a third Scottish Cup final in five years at Hampden Park on Sunday.

Dunfermline head in to Sunday"s Homecoming Scottish Cup semi-final showdown with fierce foes Falkirk having been dealt the 'massive blow' of seeing stalwart defender Greg Shields ruled out for the rest of the season with a damaged calf tendon.

Fellow centre back and skipper Scott Wilson is only rated 50/50 for the clash but McIntyre was upbeat and positive at Pitreavie on Tuesday as he spelled out his message for the Pars players and fans ahead of the club"s biggest game since the 1-0 Scottish Cup final defeat to Celtic two years ago.

'I expect the boys to go there and give it their absolute max,' he told Press Sport.

'Make sure you don"t come off with any regrets, thinking that you should have done this or done that, whatever.

"They need to realise the size of the game.

"Go and embrace it, go and enjoy it and express yourself.

"I don"t expect the players to freeze because we"ve not frozen in any of the other cup games.

"Sure, there will be nerves, that"s what you want when you"re driving up to the stadium.

'It will be a very difficult game. Falkirk are a good side. They play the game in the right way and they are the favourites as they are the Premier League team and they have got Premier League players.

"But we have shown that, on our day, we can be a match for that. If the players perform then I am confident we can get the result.'

The manager heaped praise on the club"s supporters who have backed their side in numbers for the tie, saying, 'That"s fantastic considering the rough climate and it"s great credit to the support for that,' he said.

'My message to them would be, "Get right behind us, make as much noise as you can and try to lift us to reach another final".'

Asked what it meant to him to take a team to Hampden as a manager, he said, 'I am delighted to be part of it but it"s not about me.

"I would love to get to the final for the players and fans alike. I have got a good record in the cup, I"ve played in a few finals and now it"s about trying to get Dunfermline there.

"We"ve got some boys in the dressing room who have not sampled that and it would be good to get them back there in the final.'

As well as Shields, Kevin Harper, Graeme Holmes, Scott Muirhead and McIntyre are all definitely out of the game. Jamie Mole"s chances are rated 50/50 along with Wilson"s but Stephen Glass should be fit to play.