JOHN HUGHES has said it is "50-50" whether he will do more transfer business before the deadline closes tomorrow.
The Dunfermline manager, who revealed he had been close to signing Watford midfielder Kamil Conteh, said he would be interested in any deal that would further strengthen his squad if the club can get them over the line.
Hughes handed debuts to his two most recent signings - Joe Chalmers, who started, and Bobby Kamwa, who came off the bench - in yesterday's crucial 2-0 win at Queen of the South.
READ MORE: Pars earn crucial Queens win
First half goals from Graham Dorrans and Dan Pybus lifted the Pars up to seventh in the table, and four points clear of their bottom placed opponents.
Despite arriving at Palmerston only two hours before kick off - there were delays heading south due to a road traffic accident on the M74 - Hughes' side produced a terrific performance to earn a richly deserved victory.
However, with the transfer deadline looming at midnight tomorrow, Hughes was asked about whether any further business would be done, and explained: "The reason I mention my chairman is because he is non stop in terms of recruitment; unbelievable, and he helps me so so much.
"When you see what we have brought to the club in terms of the players that we have brought in, I think the fans are appreciating that. Hopefully there might be another one - you are not getting his name, but there might be one before the window closes and that is all down to the chairman and his pursuit to keep this club moving forward.
"I just come up with the ideas, come up with the plan and I get ‘leave it with me’. The next thing he says is ‘I think that might be getting done.'
"I know when I try and do one, it is unbelievable all the phone calls that you have to make. So it is about time he got recognition for that, for his hard work and his love for this football club."
When asked if there were specific positions in the team he was targeting in terms of adding more strength, Hughes replied: "Anything that we think will help us.
"It might not happen so it is pointless talking about it. It might just be one, but it is 50/50 right at this moment in time. If not, I think these boys are starting to know what I’m after and coming up to speed.
"I said after the Morton game (a 5-0 defeat at Cappielow on January 8) that there are going to be bumps in the road from now until the end of the season. I said after the Morton game might be the best thing to happen to us.
"We are unbeaten since then and long may that continue."
On Conteh, Hughes continued: "He is one who got very close. If I had another week I would probably have signed him.
"I have just got a text from him just now. He is a lovely, lovely boy, he has got something, he is going right to the top and he might be one for next year for us. I just felt the physicality might be just too much for him. But in terms of technique and wanting it, not a problem."
On the game itself, Hughes was full of praise for his players' performance, commenting: "I am delighted with the win, delighted with the goals and delighted with the clean sheet.
🥁 The Gaffer
— Dunfermline Athletic (@officialdafc) January 30, 2022
📢 The #DAFC Fans
🎶 Watching Athletic, putting on a show 🎶 pic.twitter.com/RXNGKl55yu
"Being a little greedy we could have scored a few more and, all round, it was a right good day for us.
"First half we were very very good and as I said we could have scored more goals. It wasn’t to be and, in the second half, we knew that they would change it about a bit and come at us. We had to stand up to it and we said that it might have been a counter-attack second half for us, and it was.
"After the first 20 minutes, once we changed our shape, I always knew that we were going to see it out. I am really pleased for them and a lot of what we are doing on the training pitch is coming to fruition.
"We just need to keep working on it."
Skipper Dorrans was deployed in a more advanced role at Palmerston, which Hughes revealed had come from what he'd watched in training.
"Usually we play Graham in that sitting role but I see things on the training pitch. That is my job to notice," he continued.
"I say wow, get him up there linking up with Lawless and Dow, and we’d have something special up there. Every one of them played their part, wee Dan sitting in there breaking it up and getting his goal, coming back to his old stomping ground. He was brilliant for us last week, brilliant for us again this week.
"There is real competition for places. We have Dom (Thomas) back now and he probably has 20-30 minutes in him today but we felt that it was okay.
"If I’d mention two or three things at the club I would mention Joe Chalmers. You can see that the players have taken instantly to him.
"He has a bad habit of passing the ball to his own team-mates, he is a fantastic professional and is a really good player, and the boys just went wow."
Nikolay Todorov was a notable absentee from the Athletic squad yesterday, and Hughes added: "I just felt that we have to pick the right substitutes.
"We might have had to go to five at the back. It was Rhys Breen who was out last week, so he was back in there, and it is just horses for courses.
"He is disappointed but Toddy still has a big part to play. I enjoy working with him; he gets his head down and gets on with it.
"If you are not in the team it is all hands on deck, everybody to the wheel we have to keep this club moving forward.
"I haven’t mentioned the supporters but, when you see the fans and the noise that they make, if that doesn’t inspire you to play for the jersey then you should stay in the dressing room."
📸 It was Graham Dorrans and Dan Pybus with the goals during today's 2-0 win over Queen of the South 🏁 pic.twitter.com/fqdupIdXvQ
— Dunfermline Athletic (@officialdafc) January 29, 2022
Queens boss, Allan Johnston, was disappointed with his side's first half display, but felt they were much-improved after the break.
"I thought we were good second half but first half, obviously, really disappointing. We never started first half at all to be honest with you," he said.
"Then you lose two really poor goals. No disrespect to Graham Dorrans, but he's more aggressive in the box with a header from 10 yards. I don't really think that's what he's renowned for. We've got to win that when the ball comes in.
"Then the second goal, Dan Pybus' goal as well, we clear the ball to the edge of the box. They're told to pick somebody up at the edge of the box - it doesn't get any more basic than that, just do your job and clear the ball, and we don't do it. It's an easy tap-in for Dan.
"It always gives teams a lift when you lose easy goals like that. But, to be fair, the boys showed second half a bit of character. I think the substiutions helped - they came on and done well - but, saying that, I could've probably taken anyone off at half time to be honest with you because, after the first two goals, you know what it's like, Dunfermline get a wee bit of buzz from that and started passing the ball well.
"But, second half, I thought we totally dominated if I'm honest, and we just lacked the wee bit of final quality to score goals."
🎥 Watch the goals from yesterday's 2-0 victory.
— Dunfermline Athletic (@officialdafc) January 30, 2022
Full Highlights Later! 🏁 pic.twitter.com/HHxVMhys1i
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