Dunfermline: Pars trying to bring in keeper ahead of Livingston tie

Manager James McPake has said he's "hopeful" that he'll have someone in place for the game in West Lothian, which would likely be on a loan arrangement.

In both of their matches in Group E of the competition so far, a win at Spartans on Saturday, and Tuesday's shock home loss to Forfar Athletic, the Pars haven't had a stopper on their bench to provide cover for Deniz Mehmet.

Speaking ahead of the match at the Home of the Set Fare Arena, however, McPake commented: "There’s nothing yet but I’m hopeful we’ll have one for the squad tomorrow. But we’ll wait and see.

"Hopefully we’ll get something arranged or something agreed.

"There’s a selection of four we’ve got. We’ve spoken to a club about one or two. There’s one away on pre-season as well, which causes a problem in itself, because he won’t be back for another week to ten days. That rules that one out at the minute, but hopefully by the Livingston game we’ve got someone in."

The option to include trialists is unavailable to McPake in the Premier Sports Cup, which the Pars boss admitted to being "massively frustrating" for both clubs and players who are unattached and looking to earn a contract.

"It’s massively frustrating, not just for goalkeepers, but for any position," he continued.

"This might look like sour grapes because we lost on Tuesday night, and I might be seen to be in a mood and slamming a cup or a competition, but I’ve said it from day one I was in this cup with Dundee through to now.

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"There are so many players who are out of football and coming in training with clubs, right up and down the country, but they don’t have the opportunity to play.

"It’ll never happen, but I would love someone to come out and say the reason for not allowing trialists.

"Players get released at the end of a season, clubs are looking at their budgets, teams are trying to recruit and have other players they’re trying to bring in.

"For me, it’s a big problem in terms of the players as well, because they’re not having that opportunity to play competitive football, and I don’t get the reason behind it."

McPake, who revealed that trialists Adam Supyk, who has been on trial with Burnley's under-23s and other teams south of the border, and Giosue Bellagambi, are no longer at the club, added: "It’s not just for teams in League Two, League One and the Championship.

"I was in the Premiership with Dundee and there would have been times we would have played a trialist in the League Cup if it was someone we were looking at.

"Sometimes it’s someone you’re casting your eye over, sometimes you’re looking to see how fit they are and sometimes they might have other options but would be willing to play.

"I can’t get my head around it.

"I don’t like the format, I never have, and I’ve said that before. I know a lot of managers don’t like it and I know a lot of managers don’t like it for the simple fact they’ve not got a squad together.

"I spoke to one on Thursday night and he was saying he’s struggling to get a team on the pitch because he can’t play trialists.

"These are teams who are part-time and are still trying to get their squads together.

"For me, it is a big problem in this cup, not for us but for every team who would use it. And for every player who would then get the opportunity to go an impress in a competitive game."