Dunfermline: Kyle Benedictus on season so far and play-off push

But the Pars skipper insists that they are not taking their survival in the Championship for granted despite holding a nine-point cushion to second bottom spot with five games to go.

Centre back Benedictus, 32, is set to lead his team in tomorrow's clash with third-placed Partick Thistle at KDM Group East End Park, with fifth-placed Dunfermline just a point outside the fourth and final Premiership play-off position.

Victory would also take them to within five of the Jags whilst, at best, maintaining the gap they have to Inverness Caledonian Thistle, who sit ninth and in the relegation play-off spot.

The Pars are on a run of three successive wins, which they haven't achieved at any other point this term, with the return of key players such as Benedictus, Kane Ritchie-Hosler and Matty Todd proving influential.

"Hindsight is a big thing. What could have happened if we had a fully fit squad for the whole season? Who knows? We can only go by where we are now and we have managed to get ourselves in a position where we are in amongst it and can push for these play-offs," Benedictus said.

"The flip side of it is, you know what it’s like in this league - a couple of bad results and you are looking over your shoulder again. It’s a big one on Saturday and we’ll just take it from there.

READ MORE: Pars boss praises board's backing after winning monthly accolade

"Even look at us, if we didn’t get these three victories in a row, we could be there (near the bottom of the table). You look at the positives but we are not sitting here thinking that we are home and hosed.

"Every team in that area of the table is doing the same thing, thinking if they go on a run in the last five games, teams below us could be pushing for the play-offs.

"We are all pushing for that third or fourth place but also looking over our shoulder at the same time."

Kyle Benedictus says Athletic are still looking over their shoulder as well as upwards. (Image: Craig Brown.)

The third of Dunfermline's current run of victories came at Arbroath on Saturday, where they led 3-0 at half-time, but conceded twice in the second half to ensure a nervy finish.

"It was just the way the game worked out and we need to realise that Arbroath had nothing to lose. They were 3-0 down at home and going gung-ho," Benedictus continued.

"I just think the way they played second half, just getting the balls up, we didn’t control the game as what we should have. We all know that and come in and looked at it so no problem with that. We’ve dusted it down, it’s three wins on the bounce. It’s put to the back burner and we have a big game on Saturday.

"As a team we have watched it back and it wasn’t good enough all over the park but when you dust it down you look at it it’s another three points on the board and three in a row.

"You have to look at positives in games, dissect what happened and hopefully it shouldn’t happen again."

The Pars picked up victory at Arbroath on Saturday. (Image: Craig Brown.)

With five wins from their last eight games, which has seen 16 points accumulated, Dunfermline have found form at an important time of the campaign.

"People would say it’s a good time to come into form," Benedictus noted.

"Obviously three wins in a row is very difficult to do in this league. Everybody who has played in this league before knows how hard it is to win three games on the trot. It is nice to do it but we need to go and try and make it four on Saturday.

"It’s a big game for us, as are all the games but in terms of where we are and where we could go.

"Partick are a great side and have always been there or thereabouts the play-offs every season. We know difficult it will be. The games we have played them this year have been tough.

"We will go and play our game and hopefully come out on top."