DUNFERMLINE will meet their difficult run of form "head-on" this weekend and will "come out fighting" to turn their fortunes around.

James McPake has said that, while his players can't hide away from an eight-match winless run, they are "working really hard" and "giving everything for the football club" to change that narrative.

Their weekend loss to Queen's Park saw them drop to second bottom of the Championship - and into the relegation play-off place - ahead of Saturday's visit of bottom club Arbroath.

Six points separate those two teams, although the Pars are only behind eighth-placed Inverness Caledonian Thistle on goal difference, after a run of just three points from the last 24 available.

Dunfermline Press:

The Lichties were the last team Athletic defeated on home turf at the end of November, but have since lost their next four outings at KDM Group East End Park.

Former Pars player and boss Jim McIntyre, who guided the club to the First Division title in 2011, is now in charge of the Angus club, and McPake believes they will head to West Fife looking for victory.

However, he said: "We know it's been really tough. We want to get to 40 points, we want to win every game.

"We've got our wee targets, but the run of form we can't shy away from it, but also we're going to meet it head-on.

"As I said post-match Saturday, we're going to come out fighting. It starts on Saturday. It has to start on Saturday, and we'll see that on Saturday I'm sure.

"The positives we'll take is the good week's training. It's been good, we're working away. It is a young squad and I spoke after the 5-0 defeat that the worry was just the confidence in that group, but they're working really hard.

"They're giving everything for the football club to try and get that win, and that's all it's about. It's not about looking to last week, it's just about looking ahead to Arbroath.

"They'll be desperate to come to East End Park and win as well but, for us, it's just focusing on that next game, winning the next game, and when that happens, then hopefully going on a wee win."

He added: "I think any team that goes and wins a couple of games, it's looking a healthier.

"We just need to work hard, keep working away, and go out and get that win as quickly as we can, and get ourselves going again.

"Players coming back will help that, Chris (Kane) coming in will help that, so we just need to get it going again and, as I said after the game, we'll be ok."