Dunfermline will be better prepared for a promotion challenge next season if they fail to make the play-offs this term, according to winger Joe Cardle.
The midweek draw with Queen of the South has left Allan Johnston’s side 11 points adrift of fourth place Morton ahead of today’s trip to basement side St Mirren.
Despite suffering only one defeat in 13 league matches, the Fife outfit have been left playing catch-up due to a slow start to the campaign in their year back in Championship.
And playmaker Cardle insists readjusting to life in the second tier will stand the team in good stead for the following season.
Cardle said: “A lot of people had high expectations for us at the start of the season, thinking we could be in the mix to go straight up again.
“It’s going to take time. It’s taken the club, the players and management a bit of time getting used to playing games at a higher level.
“If we don’t manage to do it this season we should be looking to do it next season for sure. It’s a tough league and everyone knows that.
”It’s going to be a tough league to get out of but I think this club are more than capable of doing it. We’ve done it once before not so long ago.”
Cardle has not started a game since the Boxing Day draw with Falkirk but insists he is ready for action, especially after putting in extra hours away from the pitch.
He added: “It’s been very frustrating and I just obviously want more game time. It does get to you sometimes but I’ve been keeping my head down and working hard on the training pitch and hopefully when I do get the chance I take it with both hands.
“You’re kind of climbing the walls when you go home at night because you’re not playing although it was good to get on the other night against Queen of the South.
“I normally go for a run on a Sunday if I’ve not played much football, I keep myself fit in training and do extra afterwards. I go for bike rides and long runs.
“Everyone knows that I want to pull on the black and white and play for Dunfermline, it’s a club very close to my heart.”