ATHLETIC manager James McPake has been further rewarded for his team's title success by being named as the Glen's Vodka cinch League One Manager of the Month for April.

The 38-year-old, who also won the accolade in September / October, and in November, guided the team to two victories, and four draws, during the month.

The first of those wins, 5-0 against Queen of the South, secured the title for the Pars, who have bounced back to the Championship at the first attempt in McPake's maiden season in charge.

They then lifted the trophy last Saturday, after a 2-1 success at home to Clyde, in which Lewis McCann scored a stoppage-time winner.

Dunfermline finish their campaign at Alloa Athletic this afternoon, having suffered only one loss all season in the league; finished unbeaten at home; and seeking to end with no defeats in any of their last 24 games in the division.

"When you get them, your team's normally done well in the month," McPake said of his award.

"If I could probably pick one to get, it would've been this month, with the way the season was going because we started ever so well. We went into the gap and, if you'd to look back over the last couple of months, if you were probably in our position and getting it in April, then the likelihood is that the job was done.

"It's great. The kids can play with it; that's what happens with them now! I've had kids ever since I've been a manager. I never got player of the month, unfortunately.

"It's nice.

"The main trophy's out there and we got our hands on it on Saturday. You enjoy all these wee things and then, quickly, it can turn sour if you don't turn up on a Saturday and do well.

"I'd swap, not all - I'd keep the silver trophy that we got last Saturday - but I'd swap them all, managers of the month and stuff like that, just for three points on Saturday."

Even with the title won, Dunfermline are keen to keep their unbeaten run going, and end with only the one loss - at Montrose in October - and are also seeking to set a new best points total for a Pars team, and ensure they clinch a new record for least goals conceded.

"We want to finish this season [on a high] - and the high might not be winning the game, I must stress that. Everything is focused around the performance," the boss continued.

"That's what's been really consistent over the course of 36 league games - it's been 35 so far - and all the friendlies, when you add everything in, you must be at about 50 games.

"They've worked hard consistently, and that's on a daily basis, not just on a match day.

"We're not going to let that drop now, we're going to keep it going. The players won't allow it to drop, we certainly won't.

"Every 90 minutes is special because that's the really good part of being a footballer, when you're playing in games. What better way to play in the last game of the season when you're already champions.

"I'm sure we'll take another big crowd down to Alloa - and we owe it to them to go out and give everything as well. We'll certainly not sit on it.

"Even putting the targets to one side - and we use them for motivation at certain times - in that group at the moment they don't need the motivation.

"They know they've got one really hard-working day left and that's Saturday.

"They've got one more tough shift to give and then they've got a decent break where they can go and get niggles tied up, we can get some injuries back and they can recover from what's been a tough season.

"Never mind the record, we want to go down there, get the three points and win it in style.

"But to do that we need to work the way we have all season."

Forward Craig Wighton, who is looking to hit the 20-goal mark for the season, said that going into next season with their unbeaten run intact would be "massive" for the squad, adding: "That's kinda been the message since the league was wrapped up, that we want to keep that going, because momentum's obviously a massive thing in football.

"If we can keep that going into next year, then, hopefully we'll get off to a good start and see what happens."