THEY may have only two games on the road left in the regular season but Stevie Crawford wants Athletic’s form to improve.

Whilst he will be hoping they will have further away days to come in the Championship play-offs – the Pars are two points outside them, with a game in hand – Crawford is looking for better in their remaining league trips at Ayr United and Alloa Athletic.

Dunfermline go to Somerset Park on Saturday and, following a clash with fellow play-off chasers Dundee at East End on Tuesday, and further home meetings with Queen of the South and Arbroath, they end the campaign at relegation-threatened Alloa Athletic.

Their solitary away victory in the Championship came at the Indodrill Stadium back in October – which was their first match in the league on the road – as 10 games have come and gone since without three points.

A meagre five points have subsequently been collected on their travels, the last of which came at Greenock Morton in January, whilst they’ve lost their last five successive away games.

With matches running out in the chase for the top four, Crawford could do with his side improving on those statistics against the Honest Men, who have earned 0-0 draws with the Pars in both their previous meetings this season.

“It’s something we have to improve on, having won only one game away from home, but you look at the two games that we’ve got away from home and they’re against sides we’ve taken points from this season,” he said.

“That doesn’t guarantee you anything but, without stating the obvious, our home form’s been very good, but our away form has to get better. That’s between now and the end of the season, but then also looking into next season as well.

“There’s nothing in the league and we’ve just got to try and address that. Again, it comes down to that collective mentality of trying to get more wins away from home.”

Their last away match ended in a disastrous 5-1 derby defeat at Raith Rovers – who, alongside Dundee – are five points clear of Dunfermline.

Following the stalemate with Hearts on Saturday, Crawford admitted he got his tactics wrong in Kirkcaldy and, when asked about that, he continued: “Sometimes I think you can hide in life, and I want to take full responsibility for that.

“It’s not a nice feeling, it’s not that it comes lightly being able to speak like this, but if I’m going to ask my players, and ask everybody at the club to look forward and learn, and try to give their best, then I’m not exempt from that.

“I’m far from happy with the way that the game panned out at Stark’s Park. It’s a learning one, and the hurt will always remain there – that’s never going to go away – but what I really enjoyed about Saturday’s performance, other than (not) taking the three points, was that togetherness. I’m massive on that.

“In life you get an opportunity to move on. It’s never going to go away, but the reality is we’ve still got five, important games for this season.”

Crawford added that he had not ruled Paul Watson, Steven Whittaker or Scott Banks out after knocks, while Craig Wighton will return to the squad.