GAVIN EMERSON is hopeful that the need for victory to ensure the Tennent's Men's Caledonia Region League, Division One, title will be a positive for his Dunfermline rugby players.

The McKane Park club's men's first XV entertain Aberdeen Wanderers on Saturday in their delayed final match of the league campaign, with a victory guaranteeing them the championship and promotion to Tennent's National League Division Four.

They will now go into the match second in the table behind Ellon, following the expulsion of Hillfoots from the league.

The Clackmannanshire side had been due to play Ellon in their final game but, after that game also suffered postponements, they were disqualified from the competition last week.

That means all results involving Hillfoots have been expunged from the records, including Dunfermline's two wins against them, which has put them three puts behind Ellon, who now have completed their fixtures.

It hasn't, however, changed what Dunfermline need to do, with a win guaranteeing the title, and Emerson told Press Sport: "It does make it a little bit more exciting.

"The message for the boys this week is we don't take it for granted; we go there, we do the business, we be ruthless, and that's the message for the guys that will be following them right through until Saturday.

"I hope they just don't go in there being nervous, just do what they've done all season, and get the job done.

"We've got massive decisions to look at the team. I just hope that they stick to their skills for training this week, get the jobs done, and not try to do anything extra, feeling that they need to push their case a little bit more.

"The guys have worked hard all season. They're all capable of doing their job, it's just what the coaching team think we need for that day.

"We've been assured that Aberdeen are going to travel, so it's just trying to get that doubt out of the guys' minds, whether it's on, whether it's off. As far as we're aware, the game's on.

"McKane's good to go, so it's just now about getting them down, three o'clock we kick off, and get the business done."

Emerson continued: "Most teams we've played this season we've had to break them down. There's been a resilience to stick to the task and get the job done in the second half.

"There's so many games this season we've won in the second half. Look at Dalziel in the cup; we were getting beat at half-time. Caithness away, we weren't doing too good in the first half, I think we were down in the first half, and we came back and got the bonus point.

"It's just getting that message across to the guys of don't panic, stick to the systems, we work hard, and we'll get what we deserve at the end of the day."