Team news

Gers pair in line for Pars debuts Dunfermline could hand debuts to on-loan Rangers duo Jordan McMillan and Kyle Hutton for Tuesday's Clydesdale Bank Premier League clash with Kilmarnock at East End Park.

Captain Austin McCann is included in the Dunfermline squad after recovering from a hamstring problem while Paul Burns returns after being sidelined with a dead leg.

Manager Jim McIntyre is without long-term absentees Paul Gallacher, Nick Phinn, Steven Bell and Steven McDougall.

McIntyre is hoping a run of three successive home fixtures can be the turning point in Dunfermline's battle for survival .

The Pars are yet to win a home game this season, but with Rangers and Inverness visiting East End Park in the coming weeks, McIntyre is hopeful his team can put such poor form behind them.

"It's about time we got a home win to get the monkey off our back and to stay in the league we have to put a run of results together," McIntyre said.

"There is a big incentive for us to win against Kilmarnock as we would move off the bottom of the league.

"You have to be confident and positive going into a game; we know that Kilmarnock have good players so we will have to be at our best to win the game." Michael Nelson is a major doubt for Kilmarnock.

The powerful defender sustained an ankle injury at Hibernian on Saturday and will have a fitness test in the morning of the game.

Midfielders Gary Harkins (ankle) and Danny Buijs (calf) and defenders Alex Pursehouse and Ryan O'Leary (both knee) remain on the sidelines.

Killie manager Kenny Shiels has been stung by the reaction to his "honest account" of recent matches.

The Northern Irishman took stick in some quarters of the media for criticising the negative tactics of Ayrshire rivals Ayr United after Killie had eventually overcome the Irn-Bru First Division side 1-0 in the semi-final of the Scottish Communities League Cup final at Hampden.

After losing 1-0 in the William Hill Scottish Cup fifth-round to Hibernian at Easter Road on Saturday, Shiels claimed that time-wasting by Hibs keeper Graham Stack wrecked Kilmarnock's hopes of a cup double, which again brought criticism.

The Killie boss claims his honesty has backfired on him to the extent that he sees it as a "fault" rather than a virtue.

"I give an honest accurate account of how I see a football game and when I am asked questions I always give an honest answer," he told Press Association Sport, ahead of the trip.

"I don't like being evasive. I have to give a clear picture.

"But I see that as a fault in myself because I am getting slaughtered.

"I was slaughtered for what I said about Ayr, which is 100% true, I got slaughtered for what I said on Saturday. It hurts when they do things like that "I shouldn't take that personally but all I am doing is giving an honest account of how the game went and sometimes you have to talk about time-wasting if it is there and it has a major impact.

Dunfermline vs Kilmarnock

Last modified 21:57 07/02/12

Killie squander top-six chance Kilmarnock missed the opportunity to return to the Clydesdale Bank Premier League's top six as Dunfermline claimed a valuable point in their battle against relegation after a 1-1 draw at East End Park.

In a game postponed due to fog on December 10, James Fowler's deflected shot after 21 minutes put Killie ahead as the visitors sought to avenge the 3-0 loss to the Pars on January 21 and return to the top half of the table.

Andy Kirk equalised after 44 minutes, and although Dunfermline's search for a first home victory of the season goes on, the Pars moved level on points with Hibernian at the foot of the SPL standings, while Killie moved seventh.

Dunfermline made five changes from the side which lost to Aberdeen on January 28, with on-loan Rangers midfielder Kyle Hutton and former Ger Jordan McMillan making their debuts and the fifth enforced after goalkeeper Iain Turner suffered a back problem in the warm-up, with Chris Smith a late replacement.

Kirk fired off-target after 14 minutes before a good cross from his strike partner Liam Buchanan evaded everyone.

Killie then took the lead after Dunfermline failed to clear Lewis Toshney's cross from the right and the ball fell for midfielder Fowler to net a deflected shot down the centre of the goal.

Dean Shiels had an effort saved before almost setting up a chance for Paul Heffernan, only for Alex Keddie to get in front of the Killie striker and Smith to collect.

Smith saved a Shiels shot on the turn before Dunfermline equalised one minute before the interval.

David Graham burst through the centre of the field and prodded the ball forward to Kirk, who beat the offside trap.

With Cammy Bell advancing from his line, Kirk shot early into the bottom corner.

Buchanan shot across goal but wide early in the second half before Dunfermline were almost undone by their own defending.

A Kirk pass-back fell for Heffernan, who prodded goalwards, but Smith managed to spread himself and save well.

Having shown his strong side, Smith, who has made a number of gaffes this season, then made manager Jim McIntyre anxious.

The goalkeeper ballooned a clearance kick high in the air and was fortunate Paddy Boyle was present to clear.

Smith then saved low to his right from Garry Hay and substitute Dieter van Tornhout's header from Heffernan's cross bounced off Kevin Rutkiewicz and out for a corner as the visitors continued to look the more likely to take the lead.

Toshney was bundled over on the edge of the area, but nothing was given and Van Tornhout's heavy touch saw Kirk go clear at the other end, only to flash a shot wide.

Hutton was booked for bringing down Shiels after being beaten by the Killie playmaker, presenting the visitors with a free-kick from a promising position.

Hay hit the resulting set-piece on target and Smith managed to palm the ball around the post before being relieved to see it go out after flapping at the resulting corner.