Dempsey out to cut gap on Hearts

DEREK MCCALLUM

DUNFERMLINE’S Gary Dempsey insists the Fifers have no fears visiting Tynecastle tomorrow after the boost gained from their 2-1 win over champions Celtic last Sunday.

Dempsey’s second-half goal stunned the huge Hoops following at Parkhead.

A win for Dunfermline tomorrow would reduce the Jambos’ cushion in third spot to three points with two games remaining and Dempsey is confident that leaving the Capital with a victory in the bag is not beyond the Pars.

He said: "If we can finish third it will be a great season for us. That is what we are aiming to do, we are aiming to catch Hearts. If we beat them tomorrow it will give us a realistic chance of catching them.

"We know on our day we can match anyone. We were missing some of our best players against Celtic but the boys have come in and we did the business. It might not have been pretty at times but three points in the bag is what counts.

"It’s along time since Dunfermline have beaten Hearts at Tynecastle and that’s another record that’s there to be broken. If we can break them all in one season that would be magic."

Dempsey reckons Celtic’s much heralded rookie goalkeeper David Marshall should have kept out his shot on Sunday.

The Irishman, however, has an eye for goal at the moment.

His strike at Parkhead came from a carbon copy move that saw him rattle the woodwork against Motherwell the previous weekend.

Dempsey went on to net later in that league game and says he’ll be happy to accept another goal tomorrow against Hearts even if it comes from a goalkeeping gaffe by Craig Gordon.

He said: "David Marshall will probably be disappointed he didn’t keep it out, but as long as it goes into net that is all that matters to me. That’s two in two games so I am certainly hoping to add more."

Taken from the Scotsman