Dunfermline: Alex Jakubiak believes Pars are 'due' Raith derby result

The 27-year-old acknowledges how much the match with Raith Rovers means to the club's supporters and is eager to repay them with a positive result at Stark's Park.

The former Dundee forward insists that is all the motivation that he and his team-mates need going into the game - but has branded some of their rivals' social media output attempting to poke fun as "childish".

The Pars have been on the receiving end over the course of the season, with one post-derby post being a cartoon depicting their striker, Lewis Vaughan, sitting on a throne, with ex-Rovers skipper and current Athletic captain, Kyle Benedictus, and Craig Wighton, kneeling at his feet.

Jakubiak, who won the second tier title last season with Dundee, has been unimpressed, commenting: "I think there's a feeling everywhere in the town that we're due one - we've not beaten them this season.

"We've seen all the stuff they're putting on social media. It's a bit childish, but I think we are due them one.

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"It's their way of doing things. If that's how they want to be then we'll leave them to it, but I think if we did win the game, I'm sure we'd be a bit more respectful, so-to-speak, in terms of going about things afterwards. If that's their way of doing things, we'll leave them to it.

"I don't think we need that motivation. I was talking about the social media stuff, but I think that's irrelevant. Whoever we're playing we want to win the game.

"I think that one's obviously a bit more special for the fans. We know how much it means to them, so we'll be doing all we can to get a result."

Dunfermline saw a three-game unbeaten run come to an end on Tuesday evening, when a failure to make the most of several first half chances came back to haunt them as Airdrieonians picked up a 2-0 victory.

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The Kingdom bragging rights have, so far, belonged to Rovers.

Following a 1-1 Viaplay Cup group stage draw in July, which saw the Pars win a bonus point with a penalty shoot-out success, they've lost four on the spin to Ian Murray's side.

Aside from a 3-0 Scottish Cup humbling, James McPake's side have been beaten by a single goal in the three league meetings so far, with their last trip to Kirkcaldy seeing them concede in the final minute.

"I think, apart from the game in the Scottish Cup, there was a few late goals. They've been quite tight games apart from that cup game, so I think we're due them one. We're looking forward to it," Jakubiak continued.

"We've got eight points out of the last possible 15, so I think having gone nine games without a win, that's a positive. We need to work on just being a bit more consistent because we've had a few good run of games where we've picked up good results, and then end it with a decent performance, but not the result we want (against Airdrie).

"I think coming off the back off the last four games, the performance I thought was decent, but, at the end of the day, it's about getting results. That's why we're disappointed."

In a tight league, Dunfermline go into the game just five points behind Greenock Morton, who sit fourth in the final promotion play-off place, but are only two clear of Inverness Caledonian Thistle, who are second bottom.

"The league's crazy; you can see that if you win a couple of games, you're up there, and you're thinking we're not far from the play-offs," Jakubiak added.

"Then you lose one or two and you're looking at the play-offs the other way!

"It's exciting I think but, like I said before, we need to get some sort of consistency. We've had a run of poor games, then a run of some decent games, decent results, and then we've come away with a loss today.

"I don't know what it is that we need to get that run of consistency, but we'll work on that. I'm sure we'll get that going towards the end of the season."