A RETURN to Stranraer is the game Andy Stirling is most looking forward to this season - and he hopes to put his injury hell behind him to feature.

The 24-year-old winger made his long-awaited competitive debut for the Pars as a late substitute at St Mirren on Tuesday night in his first appearance since a pre-season friendly at Berwick Rangers last month.

Stirling was forced off with a hamstring problem before an awkward landing in training prevented him from starting the Petrofac Training Cup tie against Falkirk.

It has been a frustrating time for the former Stranraer midfielder, who is desperate to tackle his old team-mates at Stair Park this weekend.

He told Press Sport, "Coming to a new team and not getting to play right away, or start the way you want, is frustrating. In the last two or three years I haven't missed a game through injury - yet in my first season at Dunfermline I've missed the first five or six! After the last pre-season game at Berwick I got a wee niggle in my hamstring and as that started to get better, I landed funny on my foot in training the day before the Falkirk game. At least they're not serious injuries so I need to keep positive, try to get myself fit and get in the team. The boys have been doing well so I'll have to take my chance when it comes, although I'm not sure when that will be! It's horrible sitting watching but if you can't play, you want them to win - simple as that. When I get my chance, I'll do what the gaffer tells me to do and hopefully take it.

"Playing my old team on Saturday is probably the game I've been looking forward to the most and I'm desperate to be involved, but if I'm not right, I'm not right. I got on well with the boys down there so I'm looking forward to seeing them."

He continued, "They're playing a different formation but the nucleus of the team is still the same, so it's not going to be an easy game. They're the same workaholics but we know that they'll come out and play. They won't sit back, which will suit us because I think we've played better against teams who have done that.

"Against Falkirk, we were unlucky and it's easier to play to against teams who want to play against you because they open up, which gives you more space.

"Getting our first win at the weekend was the most important thing because the league is our main focus."