JOHN HUGHES has re-emphasised his belief that the Dunfermline fans have a “massive part to play” in their survival bid – and they can do so cut-price next week.

The Pars travel to Hamilton Academical this weekend as they bid to reduce a seven-point gap to their eighth-placed opponents, before hosting Greenock Morton next Friday night.

The Cappielow club are only above Accies on goal difference and, in what will be another crunch match, Athletic have made it an evening of ‘football for a fiver’.

The game has been brought forward from its original Saturday slot to accommodate the BBC Scotland television cameras and, in a bid to generate a bumper backing for the players, the club have cut all seats inside East End to just £5.

“I’m looking forward to the next few months and to the challenges ahead. I think the fans have got a massive part to play,” Hughes said this week.

“Even on Saturday (after the defeat at Arbroath), they applauded the team off the pitch. I’ve said that on many occasions because they saw the effort.

“They saw the style of play, the domination of the game, and I think they had that ironic smile on their faces as well that, if you keep doing that, it’s going to turn.

“I said after the game that somebody’s going to get a sore one. Hopefully, there can be a few sore ones between now and the end of the season, and we take it one game at a time.

“There’s no point looking too far down the line.”

Dunfermline’s last visit to South Lanarkshire resulted in a controversial defeat – courtesy of a penalty awarded against Graham Dorrans, whose subsequent red card was rescinded – but they won the last meeting of the teams at East End in January.

“The first time we played them at Hamilton they were the better team, that’s for sure. I think we played them about a month after that and we were vastly improved and deserved to beat them here at Dunfermline,” Hughes continued.

“I’ve been in this situation before and it’s not great but the whole league has something to play for. You’ll be playing teams at the top of the league who are fighting for promotion or teams near the bottom.

“There’s pressure on every game you play. It’s a case of embracing that.”

To secure your ticket for the Morton match, visit the club’s official website at www.dafc.co.uk.