Dunfermline: Ryan Dow and Peter Grant on Rangers clash

But the experienced midfielder admits that his side will expect a reaction from the Scottish champions, who are smarting from three successive defeats.

Having been out injured since February's Fife derby win over Raith Rovers, Dow, 30, returned as a late substitute against Partick Thistle, but his personal joy was tempered by a sobering 3-0 home defeat.

Peter Grant's men head to Ibrox in their televised last 16 Premier Sports Cup tie aiming to become the first Dunfermline team to win in Govan since 1972.

Their League Cup record against the Light Blues doesn't make for pleasant reading, having registered just one win - way back in 1951, in the first meeting of the clubs in the competition - in 17 meetings.

The last time they headed along the M8, Allan Johnston's Pars were on the wrong end of a 6-0 thumping at this stage of the tournament four years ago, so history is against them.

And Dow - who was part of the Dundee United side that defeated Rangers in a Scottish Cup semi-final at Ibrox in 2014 - doesn't believe the early season form of Steven Gerrard's side will make Athletic's task any easier.

Either side of their weekend defeat to former Kelty Hearts' boss Thomas Courts' Dundee United, the Gers were eliminated from the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round, losing both legs by 2-1 to Swedes Malmö.

But Dow noted: "They are a top team and they showed that last season. This is the first time in maybe a year that they have had bad results. You might think they are a wee bit more vulnerable but you can look at it the other way that they might be even more determined on Friday to put things right.

"We will expect some kind of backlash but we will go there with our game plan and hopefully there will be some sort of vulnerability if there is a crowd in there. We will try and get them on their backs but they are a quality team, they have a quality squad so, even if it is against the players who have not played on Tuesday night, I’m sure they can bring in another eleven that will make them equally as strong.

"You want a really good start and if there is an atmosphere you want to dampen it down and get them to maybe turn of their players if you manage to nick a goal. It will be tough but as an away team you want to stifle them for the first 20 minutes and make it difficult.

"They are top quality players, and I’m sure they can handle it if it gets a bit sticky, but we will look to play our game and hopefully it all goes well.

"We need to put on a performance, we were all disappointed after the game against Partick. We’re off the back of a poor performance and defeat as well, so we need to put it right for ourselves and our supporters.

"We are going into a game where we are not expected to get much, so maybe we can go and put the game at the weekend to bed with a good strong performance although it will not get any easier trying to put that right on Friday night against Rangers."

Boss Grant, who is likely to have a full squad to pick from aside from longer-term absentees Lewis Martin and Iain Wilson, is hoping that he can notch another win over Gerrard as a coach.

Although he was reminded of the former Liverpool skipper's blockbusting goal in the 2006 FA Cup final - which took the game into extra-time against West Ham United, where Grant was working as a coach, as the Reds won on penalties - he recalled a tournament in Switzerland while he was with Fulham.

An under-19 competition in July 2017, in Switzerland, pitted Grant's team against an age-group team from Liverpool - coached by Gerrard.

"We were part of an international tournament and we beat them 3-1 in the semi final," he said.

"Steven probably won’t remember it, like myself you don’t like remembering when you lose. That was the last time we came across each other, so I’d settle for the same result come Friday evening!"

Dunfermline boss Peter Grant watches during last weekend's defeat to Partick Thistle.

The Pars gaffer, though, is aware of how tough a task his team face in front of a capacity crowd, but has unwavering belief in his squad to put on a good show for their supporters.

"We have to go there and be positive," he continued.

"It is easy saying that but I don’t how the players are going to react when they go there. Nobody prepares you for it. You don’t know until you actually get there.

"I have some boys here who had never played in front of a crowd until two weeks ago. They have been playing first team football for eighteen months but there have been no crowds in. It is very unusual and you don’t even realise that as a manager.

"I am hoping that my players handle the environment because I know if they handle the environment I know that they can play. If we play like we did on Saturday that won’t be the case.

"We want to sit at the top table, we have a fantastic support here, we want to get into the Premier League and play these games week in week out. To do that you have to be able to play at places like Ibrox and Celtic Park. Hopefully they go and embrace it."

Grant added: "You have to play with a confidence and go in there saying 'this is where I want to be playing every week'. These are the games that I want to be playing and not just once in a blue moon and to achieve that you have to put performances in and victories.

"Last week it was a home game, we had a great support and all of a sudden we let them down with the performance.

"We have to start performing in the way we can, we showed that earlier on in the season and we have to get back to that. Anybody could say that Rangers are struggling but when you look at their group of players that tells you enough.

"I am more interested in what we do and I know if we put in a performance we are capable of going there and getting something from the game, there is absolutely no doubt about that because we have good players also who have played at a good level as well."