TRAVELLING to face the league leaders is "probably the toughest test" the Pars could face but Dave Mackay insists they go there "desperate" to try and push back into the promotion play-offs.

Dunfermline are set to return to action for the first time in three weeks when they go to Dundee United this afternoon, aiming to halt a run of five matches without a victory.

Having seen their last two matches, at home to Airdrieonians and Queen's Park, postponed, James McPake's side have slipped to sixth in the table, four points behind the former, who occupy fourth and the final Premiership play-off slot.

They go up against a United team who have only lost two of their 20 matches played so far - but both of those, against their closest title challengers, Raith Rovers, and Greenock Morton, on January 6, have come at Tannadice.

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"Over the last few weeks, we've obviously been sliding down the table from being in the promotion play-off position, so we're desperate to try and get back into there," Mackay told Press Sport this week.

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"To do that, you need to win games, and the first big hurdle that comes is Dundee United on Saturday, probably the toughest game you can get.

"It's one that I feel as if we play to our best, play to our potential, then we're more than capable of winning that game. Hopefully that's the case come 5pm on Saturday.

"It's a massive test against a top team. We played well the last time we were up there at the beginning of the season (in the league, which ended in a 1-1 draw), albeit we had more or less a fully fit squad, but we'll go up there expecting to put in a good performance.

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"We've seen teams can go up there and take points. Obviously the last team that visited, Morton, came away with three points, so we'll be hoping to do something similar on Saturday."

When asked if the recent defeat to Morton for Jim Goodwin's side could give them confidence going into today's game, as much as their own previous performances against United could, Mackay replied: "I think it goes to show there's really not much between the teams.

"Obviously, when you look at the league table, Dundee United and Raith Rovers are miles ahead. Partick are starting to close them down a little bit but, on any given day, anybody genuinely can beat anyone. It's that type of league.

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"Obviously, they've been the most consistent teams, hence why they're flying at the top of the division, but, on their day, anybody can beat anybody.

"We'll be confident we can go there and get a result. We were 10 seconds away from doing it earlier in the season, at home as well, I don't think we deserved to lose that game - we put in a good performance.

"There's not been much between the teams when we've faced each other this season so I'm expecting a similar sort of game this week. Hopefully we come out on the other side of it with a victory."

Although it can be argued Dunfermline's displays have warranted more reward, they have picked up just one point from six against the Tangerines this season.

They were seconds away from victory at Tannadice, only for a 95th-minute goal to deny them, before Chris Mochrie, who spent last season on loan at KDM Group East End, struck a late winner to give United a 2-1 success in November.

"There's been loads of games this season when we've felt hard done by but, in reality, we've dropped a lot of points," Mackay noted.

"Sometimes that can be bad luck, other times you say, well, it's happening too often for it to be just a bit of bad fortune.

"Hopefully this time we can get the little breaks. We were so close to doing it the last time at Tannadice, but we know it'll be a really, really tough game again. They bounced back from a defeat by Morton with a great result up in Inverness, so they'll be confident coming into it as well.

"They'll be looking at it as a chance to get back to winning ways at home, and we're obviously needing a win from somewhere. It's been a while since we've tasted victory, so we're desperate to get the three points as well, which hopefully makes for a good game on Saturday."

Having had the last two weeks off, some of the Pars players carrying knocks have had extra time to recover.

"Craig Wighton's one that would've been back in the squad for Saturday (against Queen's Park)," Mackay added.

"He wasn't fit enough to play 90 minutes, but he had an injection and had to miss six, seven days, so that put paid to him for the Airdrie game, but he was going to be in the squad, albeit not fit to start the game.

"The break possibly has helped two or three get closer to match fitness, but we were prepared for that game on Saturday there that obviously fell victim to the weather. We'd done all our preparation, we felt it was a really strong team that we were putting out. We didn't have strength in depth in terms of the bench, but we had a very strong eleven that we felt could go and win that game against Queen's Park.

"We'll probably have two or three more added to the squad that were maybe touch and go for the weekend, which obviously helps in terms of numbers and options you have."

"The likes of Craig was touch and go for the game at the weekend, Lewis McCann was similar. I think they're probably the only two at the minute."