ATHLETIC head coach Stevie Crawford admits that addressing his team's lack of goals will be a priority in the close season.
But he has urged the his squad to finish their season on a high note when they travel to Inverness in their last game on Saturday.
Despite losing 1-0 to Morton in their final home match, results elsewhere have ensured that Dunfermline cannot finish in the bottom two going into the clash with the Premiership play-off bound Highlanders.
But that defeat - their fourth successive 1-0 loss at home - extended their winless run to seven matches, with just three goals scored in that time.
Their miserable tally of just 13 strikes in 18 home games - the joint-lowest in the division with Alloa - has been a major factor in an underwhelming campaign, and Crawford acknowledges the need for a solution ahead of next season.
"The way the season has been throughout is, when we've been top, we've not been scoring enough goals," he said.
"It's something we'll have to address as a club and, during the summer, look to identify and bring that edge where, when we're on top in games, we're managing to capitalise.
"I can't fault the players in terms of their effort. We decided to go with three at the back (against Morton) to allow Jackson (Longridge) to roam forward more, and James Craigen, to try and get some width to our play.
"We changed it up and gave Myles (Hippolyte) the opportunity to play up with Bruce (Anderson), and Myles started the game very lively, and was causing them problems. The other reason for going with three at the back was to try and get as many experienced boys on the park for a game of the importance that it was because we felt, having looked back at the Queen of the South game, that we just looked a bit vulnerable in the middle of the park in the early parts of the game.
"I thought it was very positive the first half, other than scoring goal, and the second half became a little bit nervy with what was at stake."
He continued: "You have to stand up and take it on the chin because the first half performance was good, but the second half we’ve come away with no points.
"We’ve not scored enough goals. There’s been spells in games, but not long enough spells, where we’ve been on top, and, as I say, collectively we’ve got to do more for longer periods in games to get points on the board.
"We could possibly still finish fifth in the league – and I’m not saying that makes it acceptable – but I know there’s frustrations, and I’m fully aware of what we need to try and sort out for next year.
“I’ll be asking the boys to go up and make sure we start the game properly, compete with Inverness, and try and finish the season with three points.
“As a group of players and a management team, it’s your pride. We go up to Inverness, we get our chests out and we compete.”
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