Dunfermline: James McPake backs 'really good' keeper Deniz Mehmet

The Pars are eager to bring in another shot-stopper to provide competition for the 31-year-old, for whom they have not had cover on the bench so far this season.

Although they are trying to bring in another keeper, it's unlikely they will do so before tomorrow's league opener at Livingston, and McPake has spoken of his confidence in his current number one.

Following Saturday's home loss to Cove Rangers, the Athletic manager said that felt "for Deniz in his situation", and that it was "disappointing" they "don't have any help" for him in terms of a second player in his position.

"The boys have rallied round Deniz and he’s been really good this week," McPake said.

"I’ve had so many conversations with different people this week saying that it must be so tough being a goalkeeper.

"You know that if you make any small error and it leads to a goal then it’ll be all people remember from that game. It’s tough.

"Deniz will be fine. I still think he’s a really, really good goalkeeper, and a couple of goals isn’t going to change my opinion on that. He knows that himself.

"I hope I’m not cursing it, but this week is the best I’ve seen him. He just looks like he’s gone away and thought to himself, ‘what’s happening here’ and come back in.

"Sometimes you find the only way of getting out of a run of form you’re not happy with is just by working and, to be fair to him, that’s what he’s done this week.

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"At the tail end of last season, he had the thing that happened at Ayr United. We got that cleared up and I think Deniz would be raging with me if I had to come out and make excuses.

"He’s a senior player, he’s a senior goalkeeper, and he’s played in a lot of big games.

"I’m sure he’s made mistakes in big games, he’s made mistakes in reserve games, but over the course of my time here we’ve won more games and points because of Deniz Mehmet than most other players, I would say.

"That’s natural and people forget about that, but you can be playing in a game and, if you make an error, nobody remembers all the good stuff you did.

"Games are won and lost on goals for and against, so that’s natural, but he’ll be fine."

McPake continued: "I’m not trying to sign another goalkeeper to replace him as a number one. That’s not the case.

"We’re signing another goalkeeper because we badly need another one, for the full squad. Deniz needs to be pushed.

"Den will be desperate for another one to come in, Andy (Collier) the goalie coach. We’re all desperate and we’re working on it, trying to anyway.

"But, for the squad on the whole, you need competition in every area. Den will welcome that, and it will raise his levels in training and his performances will get better because he’s got competition.

"I’ve been there, when you know you’re going to be playing, and you’re fighting against not getting sloppy.

"You should always be working on the basis that you’re a training session away from not being in the team.

"That’s what we ask of the outfield players. We pull players up when they’re not working hard enough, or when we see certain things in a video, but, when you’ve only got one player, it’s tough. For Deniz, mentally, in that position as well.

"Hopefully we’re nearly getting that addressed and sorted.

"It’s not been great, the time it’s taken, but we’re hopefully almost there now and, from next week, we’ll hopefully have two fighting."

The manager added: "When Max (Little) came in, we took a chance on him.

"The levels between Den and Max were vastly different. That’s no disrespect to Max.

"With the level Den can train and play at compared to Max, we want to bridge that a bit, or get someone in we believe can be as good as Deniz.

"Then, the two of them are fighting and pushing each other, which will help the squad, but Deniz will be fine."