ATHLETIC boss John Hughes believes there is a "good vibe" amongst his players as they prepare for tonight's Championship play-off semi-final first leg.

Dunfermline travel to Glasgow to take on Queen's Park, who finished fourth in League One, in the first of what they hope will be four games to secure their second tier status.

Victory for Ayr United last Friday evening, who started one point clear of the ninth-placed Pars, ensured Hughes' team would be in the play-offs, irrespective of the outcome of their home clash with Queen of the South.

READ MORE: Pars can't feel sorry for themselves insists boss

A second half turnaround saw the already relegated Doonhamers secure a 2-1 victory, which frustrated the 5,000 plus home support.

Speaking to the Press on Monday, however, Hughes said: "I could sense their disappointment after the match on Friday night.

"You have to get a feel for it; as a manager, you have to go in there, you have to know your audience and know your room.

"I knew that the play-offs were coming up so there wasn't too much said, but over the last few days, I just feel there's a good vibe and a good energy in amongst it. We need to take that into the game on Wednesday.

"I've played as a player, and as a manager, I've been in Europe. I've been involved in these two-legs affairs, but we're not going there with any kind of defensive mindset. We're going there to try and give Queen's Park a game, win the game and see where it finishes.

"As I've said to you, it might be a mistake. That's football; these things happen, it's part and parcel of football. Sometimes it goes for you, or it goes against you, but if we're at it and everyone's at their best, then I'm hoping that's good enough.

"Sometimes we've been at our best and the three points have not come our way. That's part and parcel of football, but never be afraid to go and express yourself, and try and be the best that you can.

"If you go and do that, that's all I can ask of them."

The Spiders have, this season, been groundsharing with Partick Thistle while their new home at Lesser Hampden - having sold Hampden Park to the Scottish Football Association - is being completed.

It will be Dunfermline's fifth visit this season to Firhill, having played the Jags there in the league twice, and in both the Premier Sports Cup and Scottish Cup, and its surface has come under scrutiny throughout the campaign.

It also hosted Thistle's Premiership play-off quarter-final first leg with Inverness Caledonian Thistle last night (Tuesday), which the Highlanders won 2-1, and Hughes admits he will be taking the state of the pitch into consideration when it comes to team selection.

"It's coming into our thoughts," he said.

"It's the same for two teams. I watched Queen's Park there on Saturday, and they're brave, they get on it, they pass it, and they try and play their football.

"It's the same for both sides. No excuses, we're not looking for an excuse, we've just got to bring it on.

"I'll pick the best team that I think's going to do the job. No doubt there will be one or two that's upset, and I've said to them you have to be the best team-mate.

"It's not a case of throwing your toys out the pram. It's not about you at this moment in time; it's about the team, it's about the club.

"There's all that positive stuff that we're putting in there, and we've had a great response off them.

"They trained fantastic this morning (Monday), really good. There was a good buzz about them, a good energy about them, and you could just sense that there's a feeling of 'right, come on then, we need to get this job done'.

"But we're under no illusions. It's not going to be easy, but everything at stake alone, that brings it down to a level playing field. It may be the one that handles the pressure the best, and hopefully with our experience, it's us."

Hughes also revealed he has a decision to make on the part his captain, Graham Dorrans, will play.

He came off the bench to feature for 25 minutes on Friday evening, and Hughes added: "Obviously he had Friday night, off Saturday, trained with us on Sunday, trained very well today.

"Do we start him, and see what he's got, or do we save him and bring him on?

"That was the decision as well, along with Coll Donaldson getting taken off, even on the bench we knew the result from Ayr United, so it was a matter of precaution for Coll Donaldson, although he wouldn't have seen it like that, and getting minutes in Graham Dorrans.

"We'll sit down and prepare. We're halfway there in the preparation of the game and we'll prepare it.

"I think Graham's got that bit between his teeth that we can prevent this. I can just sense that hunger, the way he's training, the way he's going about the boys. You can just sense it and that's rubbing off on one or two others.

"I'm absolutely delighted to get him back, and as I say, we've got a decision to make, does he start, or does he come off the bench."