Kyle Benedictus is hopeful he can end a nightmare season on a high after successfully making his long-awaited comeback for Dunfermline.
The Pars skipper returned to the starting line-up for the first time in over six months following an unwanted hat-trick of injuries that have restricted him to just over an hour of football since September 2.
On that date, he broke a bone in his foot against Inverness. After eight weeks out he damaged his thigh and on his next appearance two months later he suffered another tear in his thigh.
The former Dundee stopper is keeping his fingers crossed that his troubles are now in the past.
“Personally, it’s good to be back [playing],” he said. “It’s been a long seven months, but I feel good and I’m ready for the last eight games.
“I think I’ve played [something like] 60 minutes in the last seven months, so personally it’s good to be back out there.
“It’s not the result I wanted, it’s not the result we wanted for the fans. They’ve backed us in numbers again.
“But I will be ready for the next eight games.
“I’m fine. It’s my first 90 minutes in God knows how long, but I came off the pitch and I’m fine. So, I’m ready to go.
“The manager was just protecting me after what has happened previously when I’ve come back and been injured again.
Benedictus hoping to ‘help the boys’
“But it was time to step on the pitch and I feel fine, so I’m hoping I can get these last eight games and help the boys as much as I can.”
With Kane Ritchie-Hosler also making his first start in over three months following shoulder surgery and Matty Todd having returned to action at the end of an injury-ravaged season, Dunfermline looked stronger.
They began on the front foot against Raith Rovers but, ultimately, suffered a first-ever fifth consecutive loss in the Fife derby.
The goals from Sam Stanton and Dylan Easton were preventable and the cutting edge was missing in attack.
“It was the same old [story],” said Benedictus. “I thought we did well in the game but there were big moments.
“Their keeper pulled off a ‘worldy’ [from a Ewan Otoo shot] that would have made it 1-1.
“And for their second goal we switch off – a quick free-kick, it shouldn’t happen – and then Dylan’s put it into the side netting, a great finish.
“We’ve been here too many times, especially in these games.
“But credit to Raith again. They’ve done what they needed to do and got the three points.
“It [a lack of clinical edge] has probably been affecting us in recent weeks.
‘Pars need to be more clinical’
“You see it again, there was a lot of effort from the boys. I thought we competed well and I don’t think there was much in the game.
“But they’ve had their moments again and that’s what’s got them the three points.”
He added: “It is frustrating. It’s probably happened in every league game we’ve played [against Raith].
“That’s not taking anything away from Raith, they’ve managed to get the three points every time.
“So, well done to them. But we need to look at ourselves and we need to be more clinical.
“In the moments in games, they’ve managed to take them and we’ve not.
“We’ve switched off for the second goal and it kills the game.”
Wins in their last two games would have hauled Dunfermline into fourth in the table and dreaming of a promotion play-off fight.
Instead, back-to-back losses leave them seventh and just a point above second-bottom Inverness Caley Thistle.
Next up is the visit of league leaders Dundee United on Friday as the challenge to avoid a relegation play-off ramps up.
‘DAFC need to look down’
“We need to win as many games as possible,” continued Benedictus. “It’s easy to look up the way but we need to be looking down the way as well.
“There’s a big group of teams there and we’re no different to the rest of them in trying to get as many points as we can and as many victories as we can.
“That will start next week.
“United are obviously up there challenging for the league, so they’ll come wanting to get the three points.
“But we’ll make sure we’re ready and we’ll be looking to get the three points as well.”
