Dunfermline assistant Dave Mackay, like manager James McPake, has been encouraged by the Pars’ recent performances.
A point at home to Inverness last week wasn’t ideal but was accepted by the management team under the circumstances.
The week before, Dunfermline were in the ascendancy in the second half at home to Dundee United with the scores level before Chris Mochrie’s late winner.
This weekend brings another match at East End Park and a chance to improve the home form that Mackay accepts hasn’t been good enough so far this season before Queen’s Park come to town in the Championship.
Friday will be the fourth Fife derby of the season already and this Scottish Cup third-round tie means they will have faced each other in three different competitions.
Dave Mackay: It’s all about Dunfermline getting through
“We’ve got a run of loads of home games now,” said Mackay. “Our home form hasn’t been great, in terms of picking up points, etcetera, so hopefully this can be a wee bit of a turning point for us.
“It was a good performance on Saturday, although we only came away with one point.
“But the important thing in cup competitions is to try to get through to the next round.
“If we maintain the sort of performance we’ve had in the last couple of games it gives us a great chance
“But, as we’ve seen in the last two games, you don’t always get what you deserve.
“So, in the cup competitions, it’s about getting through to the next round and whatever way we do that we’ll take that.”
The former St Johnstone and Dundee defender knows this competition well, having held the Scottish Cup aloft as Saints captain back in 2014.
He says doing what is required to be in the hat for the next round can often mean fortune falling in your favour.
Cup specialist
“You need a bit of luck and other teams to go out of the competition or you catch them on a bad day,” said Mackay.
“But you’re only six games away from winning a trophy and five from getting to Hampden.
“And you can get the luck of the draw as teams did last year. Falkirk got to the semi-final without playing anybody, really, of any stature.
“Darvel knocked out Aberdeen and then Falkirk got Darvel.
“Sometimes you just find yourself getting a little bit of a fortunate draw, although you’ve still got to go and win those games.
“As players and staff you want to have a good run, especially in the Scottish Cup with the prestige it holds.
“It’s been shown in the past 10, 15 years, not with the number of teams who have won it but with the amount from the lower leagues who have got to a final.
“It can happen and hopefully we can be one of those teams.”
Meanwhile, Ben Summers is 50-50 to be involved against Raith and otherwise it is the same squad that was available for Inverness. Kyle Benedictus and Rhys Breen “still weeks away”, according to Mackay.
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