Dunfermline’s current Championship predicament would be enough to give any Pars player sleepless nights.
However, defender Aaron Comrie has a more joyful reason to be bleary eyed.
The former St Johnstone youngster became a father last month and, while his partner is happy to handle the night feeds, Comrie is still getting used to balancing life as a footballer with his doting dad duties.
“It’s been tough,” laughed Comrie. “It has been a mad four-and-a half weeks.
“Time is just flying in, the days seem to go without getting a minute to yourself.
“It is definitely rewarding and I’m enjoying every minute.
“Thankfully the missus does the night feeds — and I manage to get a few hours in.”
Right back where he belongs
While it has been all change off the pitch for the Comrie family, he is enjoying a renewed sense of familiarity on the grass.
He impressed at right-back during Dunfermline’s 0-0 draw against Inverness on Saturday — the Pars’ maiden clean sheet this term — and one would expect boss Peter Grant to stick with the same back-four against Hamilton.
Comrie has operated as a right-sided centre-back and a right wing-back this season, with few players asked to display more versatility.
And while he embraces the learning curve, he is happy to be back in a role to which he is more accustomed.
“I think everyone can see that I look the most comfortable in that right-back slot,” continued Comrie. “I’ll play anywhere the manager tells me to the best of my ability, but on Saturday it was probably the most comfortable that I have felt.
“I know that right channel well — take me out that channel and I’m hopeless!
“Learning different positions, especially the wing-back role, hasn’t been a bad thing. It has maybe opened my eyes a bit, in terms of what I need to do better. I’ll try to contribute a wee bit more going forward.
“But playing in that right centre-back role, I would have liked to have done a bit better.”
Doom and gloom
Few would have predicted that this Saturday’s showdown between Hamilton against Dunfermline would represent a clash between the bottom two in the Championship.
However, that is the precarious situation both underachieving outfits find themselves in — and Comrie knows the Pars turnaround must happen swiftly.
“It is not all doom and gloom,” he said. “It is early in the season with a long way to go. But getting that first win would help us kick start the season and needs to be done fast — because we can’t let it go on and on.”
