By Graeme Dey

DUNFERMLINE boss Jim McIntyre yesterday insisted the Pars players did not abandon his sacked predecessor to his fate.

Irishman Stephen Kenny, now back in charge of Derry City, led the East End Park outfit to the final of the Scottish Cup and almost saved them from relegation.

But a shocking run of results this season, which left Dunfermline sitting second bottom of the First Division, forced the Pars board to hand Kenny his P45.

Since then, under McIntyre, they are unbeaten in seven games, but the newly confirmed manager refuted the notion that run reflected a much improved attitude.

“The players have been very good for me since I came in,’’ he said. “Their application has been different class and they have been working very hard to turn things around.

“But they were working hard before I came on the scene—no doubt about that. People think the players weren’t trying but that’s a total slur on their professionalism.

“I don’t think any player goes into a game and deliberately doesn’t try and it certainly wasn’t the case here. The only problem was that the confidence was at rock bottom and the only way to get it back is through results.

“Sometimes when your confidence is as low as it was then you look like half the player you really are.

“Now it’s turning. We’re getting results and because we’re on the up it has given the fans a boost, too.

“Supporters are the same all over the country, if you aren’t giving them anything to get excited about they can be negative and less vocal.

“But as much as we need them to get right behind us and believe in the job we’re doing, the players need to give something back.

“It’s a two-way street and hopefully we’re starting to give them something to shout about.’’

Meanwhile, the Pars have their sights set on a new defender, but club chairman John Yorkston has refused to reveal the player’s identity.

Yorkston told Courier Sport yesterday the club hopes to make at least one signing during the January transfer window.

However, he has still to sit down and finalise the newly-appointed manager’s budget for bringing players in.

“We’re working on the budget at the moment,” he said.

“We’ll be in a better position later in the week. I don’t want to say too much because there are a couple of other clubs interested in this boy.”