ATHLETIC play their penultimate home match of the Championship season when Queen's Park make the trip to KDM Group East End Park this afternoon.

James McPake's side entertain the second bottom Spiders not only looking to bounce back from last weekend's defeat at Airdrieonians, but in the knowledge that three points would ensure they can't finish in the relegation play-off place.

Here's a look ahead to today's game.

Form guide

Dunfermline were beaten in their last outing, at Airdrie, which all-but-ended their hopes of claiming a promotion play-off place.

The Pars sit nine points behind both the Diamonds, who are fourth, and Partick Thistle, who meet this afternoon.

Athletic also have an inferior goal difference compared to both clubs, meaning a top four finish looks out of reach.

They are, though, not completely safe from ninth and the relegation play-off spot.

Queen's Park occupy it currently and are six points behind Dunfermline, who are fifth, and a win for the Glasgow side will see them leapfrog Inverness Caledonian Thistle, who lost at home to Raith Rovers last night.

A win for the Pars will put them nine points clear of Queen's, who would be unable to catch them, whilst a draw would retain a six-point gap, with Dunfermline holding an eight-goal advantage.

Dunfermline Press:

Prior to their defeat to Airdrie, Dunfermline had won three and drawn one of their previous four outings, whilst the Spiders have lost their last three, including at home to Inverness last Saturday.

Recent meetings

This is the final clash of the season between the teams and the Spiders hold this season's head-to-head advantage.

After Dunfermline were 2-0 winners at Hampden in September, an injury-hit Pars went down 2-1 at the same venue in January, before Queen's won a rearranged fixture at East End 3-0 in February.

The visitors have won on their last two visits to East End, the other being a 1-0 win in a play-off semi-final, second leg, two years ago which sent Athletic into League One, but Pars hold the overall head-to-head bragging rights.

According to Soccerbase, they've won 23 league meetings, drawing 17 and losing 17, whilst winning 29 in all competitions, drawing 18 and losing 19.

Team news

Dunfermline are set to welcome back Alex Jakubiak and Chris Hamilton to their squad for this match.

Jakubiak missed out last weekend a knock, whilst Hamilton has missed their last two matches after sustaining a head knock at Arbroath at the end of March.

Paul Allan, Craig Wighton and Aaron Comrie remain out, whilst Ben Summers' season is over with injury.

From the dugout

James McPake: "They (Queen's Park) will be hurting off the back of a defeat to Inverness, and they are desperate for points, but so are we. We are hurting off the back of losing that game and in the manner we lost it.

"We want to put that performance right particularly being back at home."

Press Sport will be live at East End to bring you all the action as it happens.