St Mirren strikers on the spot against Dunfermline

St Mirren manager Tom Hendrie is expecting his strikers to find their form in the closing weeks of the season and keep the club in the Premier League.

The Paisley side entertain Dunfermline knowing they need to boost their goals ratio if they are to avoid the drop.

Hendrie has been to trying to bring in a fresh face but with Saturday's transfer deadline looming he now admits that is looking unlikely.

Steven McGarry scored the winner in their last outing against St Johnstone and is pushing for a place in the starting line-up.

He could get the nod ahead of Graham Fenton and partner Mark Yardley up front. Jose Quitongo is also in contention.

The club's problems this season have stemmed from their dreadful scoring record, which is the worst in the division. They have only managed 20 goals in 31 league games.

Hendrie said: "It is looking less likely we will be bringing someone in before the deadline.

"Sometimes it is a good to bring in a fresh face as it gives everyone at the club a lift. But I am still confident we have the firepower to get us out of trouble.

"Our aim at the moment is to get back-to-back victories after beating St Johnstone.

"We all realise that the game against Dunfermline is a huge one and one we can't afford to lose."

Dunfermline manager Jimmy Calderwood is hoping his team cement a top six place.

But Hendrie's team have been a bit of a bogey side this season, beating Dunfermline in the league at Love Street and knocking them out of the CIS Insurance Cup.

Calderwood said: "We let ourselves down badly and they deserved to win both matches.

"We can't give away presents like we did, we are not good enough for that. We shouldn't fear anybody, our biggest fear is ourselves."

Lithuanian sweeper Andrius Skerla has returned to training after an ankle injury and could feature in the match.