PARS boss James McPake has been enthused by his squad's reaction to recent setbacks ahead of their crunch clash with Arbroath.

Their defeat to Queen's Park on Saturday, one week on from a five-goal thumping by Greenock Morton, has left them winless in eight games and second bottom of the Championship table.

Former Athletic manager, Jim McIntyre, brings his bottom of the table Lichties to KDM Group East End Park sitting at the foot of the standings, six points behind their opponents.

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McPake, though, has said the younger members of his squad, in particular, have reacted well in training this week, commenting: "We know that results have not been anywhere near the standard that we are looking for.

Dunfermline Press:

"With such a young squad, the likes of people like Ewan Otoo, Ben Summers, Owen Moffat, add in Josh Edwards to that, Lewis McCann, Brad Holmes - the make up of the group is what we want to do as a football club, have the younger ones mix with experience, and then have our own academy, which we have seen wee bits and pieces of, with Andrew Tod and Taylor Sutherland coming through.

"When you look at that group, it is fine having that plan. The experienced ones are very good and help them, but you never do plan for not having won in eight games. The experience from that now will help us go forward as a group when we turn it around.

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"I have been surprised by just how robust and how well they are taking it, to simplify it, how bright they are and how good they have been, particularly the young ones.

"The experienced ones have been in these situations before, we know that. But for some of the younger ones, to see them and their bravery in training, when I think back to being a player at times, you were walking in, your shoulders were down, your head was down, you were worried what the mood was like. They have lifted it in here themselves.

"That’s great for us and when we get them on the training pitch. Ultimately all that matters is a Saturday so we need to take that into Saturday."