IT SHOULD almost have been expected that Euan Murray would receive his Championship Player of the Month gong from Dom Thomas.

After all, the skilful winger has provided the assist for each of his 26-year-old team-mate's five goals in just eight  appearances this season, which has taken Dunfermline joint top of the Championship and into the Betfred Cup last 16.

Victory over Clyde, where Pars captain Murray had a brief spell in the 2014-15 campaign, on Saturday confirmed the latter and set up a tie at Arbroath a week on Saturday.

Ahead of that game, and before attention turns to this Friday's visit of Heart of Midlothian on league duty, he was able to bask in the glow of an individual accolade and, although he laughed that he was "cringing a wee bit" when snapped with pal Thomas helping present his prize, the ex-Motherwell, Stenhousemuir and Raith Rovers man has been grinning from ear-to-ear over his team's strong start to the campaign.

"I'm delighted to pick an award up," he said.

"Any kind of individual award is always nice but, genuinely, the start to the season the boys have had, going seven games undefeated and picking up six wins, is definitely the most pleasing thing for me.

"It's alright picking up things individually but we win and lose as a team together. 

"You're only as good as your team-mates and Dom has been unbelievable since we got him in on loan. He's somebody that I've always had a good relationship with, on and off the park, and, for one reason or another, it's just worked.

"I feel confident when he's putting deliveries into the area that I can always, if not score, at least be a threat in the opposition's box. I've always felt that about myself at other clubs. His deliveries have been on the money and it makes my job a lot easier when he puts balls into areas I know I can go and attack.

"I was at Motherwell with Dom so I've known him since he was a young lad, probably 14 or 15, and we came through together around the first team. He's somebody I've bumped into a few times after it and I've always stood and talked and had a conversation with him.

"I was delighted when he came to the club on loan because I know what he's all about and what he could do, and I think it's been a real coup managing to get him here, as with a lot of other players. I think we've recruited brilliantly in the summer, and we're seeing that so far, but as I keep saying, we're so early on in the season we can't get ahead of ourselves."