James McPake is convinced Dunfermline’s players will have ‘grown’ after coming through a troubled season.
Injuries have afflicted the Pars squad this term, with some key personnel, including skipper Kyle Benedictus, being badly affected.
As a consequence, the East End Park men struggled badly around the turn of the year and went through a worrying nine games without a win.
However, with a shot at a promotion play-off place then tantalisingly close just last month, the Fifers eased any lingering fears of relegation with last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Inverness Caley Thistle.
It means Friday night’s trip to face Ayr United is all about trying to finish the campaign in a creditable fifth spot.
And, although at the time it was difficult, McPake believes the likes of Kane Ritchie-Hosler, 21, who endured three operations, and Matty Todd, 22, who also underwent surgery three times last year, will benefit in the long-run.
“There will be a time to reflect and strip it back after Friday’s game,” said McPake. “But the thing that sticks out is that the young group have all played a lot of football.
“Hammy [Chris Hamilton] is young, Ewan Otoo is young, Sam Fisher is young, Josh Edwards is still young – and he has played every minute bar 12 against Dundee United.
“Matty Todd has been in and out. It was his first real serious injury, so mentally for him it has been tough.
“But the benefit he will get now with the break coming up and then going into another season is, in terms of the mindset, he knows how to deal with injuries.
McPake: ‘There are a lot of positives’
“Kane Ritchie-Hosler is the same.
“Even though they have not played as much as we all hoped they would have, they have had different experiences from a tough season. That will help them grow.
“When they are young they have got to face them [injuries] at some point and they have done that and come through it.
“So, there are a lot of positives, in terms of what the group has gained from a tough season.”
McPake has also reserved special praise for two players who have found themselves out of the reckoning in recent weeks.
The duo in question – Joe Chalmers and Michael O’Halloran – were key during the worst of the injury troubles.
But O’Halloran has not started a game since February 17, whilst Chalmers has started just twice since then.
“These two, I will pick out and say, through that bad run, were there week-in, week-out,” added McPake. “They were training day-in, day-out.
“Then, when they have not been in the team, I can’t speak highly enough of those two.
‘Spit the dummy’
“Too often in football, you see senior players spit the dummy out.
“It is natural, it is what happens. You are not in the team and you feel that you are training for nothing, even though it’s not the case.
“Sometimes, your mind is asking you ‘what’s the point of training for nothing’.
“But those two have been exceptional in and around the place. We probably needed that.”
