By Jim Davie

DUNFERMLINE MAY already have accounted for Premierleague Rangers and Hearts in this season’s Tennent’s Scottish Cup, but no one at East End Park is taking Partick Thistle for granted in today’s quarter-final tie.

Thistle have proved away- day specialists in this season’s tournament, winning at both Dingwall and Deveronvale, and Pars defender Phil McGuire is sure the Maryhill men will prove a handful for the Fifers.

“We’ve been doing well in the cup and it’s another home tie, but it’ll be a difficult game—albeit Partick are a league below us,” said McGuire.

“I haven’t seen much of them recently but they seem to have been doing quite well, so they will be dangerous.

“There’s a bit of history between the two clubs, with their manager Dick Campbell being a former Dunfermline boss, and they have ex-Pars Simon Donnelly and Derek Young at Firhill.

“You can’t be over-confident. Slackness can creep in.

“If we get complacent we’ll cause our own problems.

“We’re not a team that’s got a divine right to go out and win games.

“We’ve got to earn it and that will only come with hard work.

“We’ve got to give Partick Thistle all the respect in the world but go out and be professional. If you work hard, nine times out of 10 you’ll get your just reward.”

In the games against Rangers and Hearts the Pars, although the home team, were considered the underdogs. It’s a situation that will be reversed today with the visit of the first division side.

“We’ve played two very good teams to get here—in Rangers and Hearts—and, although we had an element of luck, I though we were the better team in both games,” continued the former Aberdeen and Doncaster player.

“Now we come up against a team where we are deemed as favourites, although I don’t really feel there are any favourites in cup competitions.

“Being favourites adds its own pressure but, whether it’s Rangers or Partick, you give them the same respect and at the end of the day it’s how you play as a team.

“If we play well and work hard we should get the right result.”

The big defender was one of the goalscoring heroes against the Ibrox men and is hoping he can add to his goals tally against the Firhill side.

“It’s my only goal of the season so far,” he added. “I’m normally good for a few when I’m playing in midfield, but I’ve been in central defence since I came back from injury.

“I’ve had a couple cleared off the line, but my main job is to stop the other side scoring.”

A Hampden semi-final awaits the winner, with a possible final appearance also to come. Though the Pars have been no strangers to Hampden in recent years, McGuire would love to get there to improve his personal Scottish Cup record.

“When I was with Aberdeen we got to two finals in 2000, losing to Celtic in the League Cup and Rangers in the Scottish,” he said.

“But I didn’t play in either because I was just breaking into the squad then.

“The Rangers final was the one where Jim Leighton broke his jaw and Robbie Winters had to go in goal. In those days we were only allowed three subs.

“On the day I was left out, I was a young boy, I was only 19, but it was special.

“It’s something you always want to be involved in and I’m no different.”

Dunfermline boss Stephen Kenny is another who longs to taste the atmosphere of the national stadium.

He said, “The semi-final at Hampden is at stake. For me, coming from outside Scotland, Hampden is a mythical place—I haven’t been in the stadium.

“Lansdowne Road used to be mythical in Ireland, but it was dilapidated.

“It’s an opportunity for the team to get to a semi and reward the supporters.

“Partick have been talking themselves up, saying they have a strong chance—and they’re entitled to that.

“Anything we get, we’re going to have to earn.

“As a team, we’re getting better. Over the last four home games I’ve seen us beat Rangers, lose to Rangers 1-0, beat Hearts and draw with Kilmarnock.

“We’ve played well in all of those games and showed decent form.

“The introduction of Jim O’Brien and Adam Hammill has given us an impetus and edge about our play—two players I would pay to watch.”

Scott Thomson, Greg Shields, Darren Young and Mark Burchill are all out of today’s game and Stephen Glass is cup-tied.

Winger Owen Morrison is a surprise inclusion in the squad.

The Irishman, who has been told he doesn’t figure in the long-term plans at East End Park, returned last week from a trial in China.

Kenny, meanwhile, will make decisions on trialists Fabrice Fernandes and Tam McManus over the weekend.

Partick boss Campbell will have to tinker with his squad.

Simon Donnelly has a knee injury and will not make the trip and Alan Archibald is cup-tied.

Campbell had injury doubts over Derek Young and Barry Smith, but they are both likely to be fit.