PARS WILL PROVIDE STERN TEST

Dunfermline Athletic are the visitors to McDiarmid Park tomorrow and will no doubt provide the sternest test yet of Derek McInnes’ Saints side.

The Pars have the experience of one season in the First Division behind them now and have started their campaign with a win over Queen of the South and defeat at Partick Thistle.

Derek McInnes expects to have three players available tomorrow who he couldn’t call on at Greenock last week but he has received bad news about another.

Derek explains “Steven Anderson and Collin Samuel have trained all week and are available and Liam Craig is free of suspension but I’ve had very disappointing news regarding Jody Morris. He tried full training this week but was still feeling pain in his hamstring so we sent him for another scan and the results from that are not good so we will have to wait another couple of weeks before he is available.

“I’m really disappointed by this not just for me as manager but for Jody himself who has applied himself brilliantly to trying to get back fit.”

Dan Smith has trained all week and may well feature in the left back position tomorrow.

Derek continues, “Dunfermline still have the nucleus of the squad that played for them in the SPL – some real experienced guys and the new faces that Jim has made them even better.

“I know that Jim has had to trim the size of his squad but in terms of what they can pay players they are still at a level above us and will be real dangerous opponents tomorrow. We’ll give them the respect that a team of their experience and quality deserve but we are the home side, with a good record at McDiarmid who have made an unbeaten start to the season and we will concentrate on what we can do to win the game.”

One player enjoying his football at the moment is striker Derek Holmes and the player signed from Rotherham United in the summer gave his thoughts to the Saints Official Website this morning.