JOHN HUGHES insists there is no point in worrying about Dunfermline’s predicament in the Championship - it is how they dig themselves out of trouble that matters.

The Pars are three points adrift of safety after throwing away a lead in last weekend’s defeat to Kilmarnock.

Play-off hopefuls Partick Thistle are the visitors to East End Park this evening and boss Hughes has made it clear that the Fife outfit are not panicking about where they find themselves.

He said: “There is no point in worrying about what other teams are doing, look after ourselves, concentrate on the process - knowing that what we do for ninety minutes is good enough. Trust each other and go and implement it.

“You only concentrate on the next game - Partick. You concentrate on the process and that’s your next opponents. 

“We know where we are, we are where we are and we have put ourselves there and only have ourselves to blame. 

“We have a great chance of getting ourselves out of it and the only way that we will do that is winning football matches.

“If we play the way that we are going to play, then we will be there or thereabouts. 

“We are under no illusions of where we are. But everyone is capable of beating each other in this league, we just need to look after ourselves.”

Dunfermline’s next two matches against Partick and Kilmarnock are at home and Hughes admits he appreciates the backing he and the team have had since he took over the reins in November.

He added: “You have your home support and they’ve played a massive part since I’ve come in, they’ve been vocal, they’ve been supportive and it’s up to us to try and reward them. 

“Even on Saturday I don’t think we let them down, we let ourselves down, that’s what did. 

“We’ve all signed up to it to try and keep clean sheets as a team and that’s the disappointment.” 

Hughes admits he could unleash Dom Thomas against the Jags, with the winger having been on the bench for the last three games after undergoing knee surgery in December.

Hughes added: “He is very close. He has only really had one practice match since coming back. 

“He is training very hard and you can see that he has the hunger to get on the pitch. He is not too far away.”