Dick Campbell is convinced East Fife can make the most of home advantage after being left needing a second-leg comeback in their League One play-off semi-final.
The Methil men succumbed to a 1-0 defeat against Edinburgh City at Meadowbank following a smart 76th-minute finish from on-loan Hibernian youngster Malik Zaid.
The Fifers finished nine points ahead of their hosts in the table over the course of the season.
But they now have just 90 minutes to ensure it is them who progress to the final against either Elgin City or, more likely after their 4-2 first-leg win in the other semi, Annan Athletic.
Campbell lamented a lack of goal-scoring opportunities in the capital and is determined to get things right in the return leg on Saturday.
“We lost the championship because we lost three games against the bottom three teams – 1-0, 1-0, 1-0,” the East Fife boss told Courier Sport. “And we’ve lost again 1-0.
“If you think about what we created, there wasn’t a lot. Fash [Nathan Austin] had a couple of sitters. But I’m not blaming anybody.
“It’s half-time. It’s 1-0, we’re kicking down hill on Saturday – we’re at home – and it’s going to take two goals to beat them.
“But I’ll look forward to it. I’ll train them on Thursday night and we’ll do a lot of crossing and finishing – because it looks like we need it.
Campbell: Big crowd will ‘influence us’
“I don’t think we’ve done enough to win the game. I honestly, didn’t.
“But let’s see what Saturday brings us. We’ll have a big crowd and they’ll influence us.”
Austin threatened in the first-half but failed to get enough on his shot to trouble back-pedalling City keeper Mark Weir.
After the interval, the striker lobbed Weir on the break but again came up short as his effort was hacked clear before reaching the net.
East Fife only really came to life after going behind and twice came close to a leveller in injury-time.
Substitute Scott Shepherd was thwarted by a superb block from Edin Lynch six yards out and then replacement Jack Healy fired over.
“We’re going to need what we showed in the last ten minutes – and twice over,” added Campbell. “We’ll need every single break that’s going on Saturday.
“I would imagine the manager at Edinburgh City [Michael McIndoe] will know there’s still a wee bit of the ‘second-half’ to go.
“And I’m the same. I’ll have to get it right and I’ll have to make sure the players that are playing on Saturday get it right.”
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