MORTON manager Dougie Imrie has been doing his homework as he aims to dump Dunfermline in their own backyard today.

Ton travel to East End Park to face off against a side rejuvenated under James McPake in the last 18-months.

They won League One at a canter last year, boasting an unbeaten streak at home.

That run still stands and the Pars will look to continue it this weekend, but Imrie has been studying them closely as he plots their undoing.

He told the Tele: “I've watched a lot of Dunfermline this season and they seem to play with a back three, with a midfield four, and one in behind the two strikers.

“It’ll be different as we’ve not really come up against that shape before this season, it's usually a back four.

“That in itself has its pros and cons, they’ll be trying to push up their wing backs supported by the middle two and the ten.

“They’ll also be supported by the two strikers who’ll look to make it difficult for our back four and it’ll be a straight match up, two for two.

"So it’ll be exciting.

“It’s got the makings of a great game."

While Imrie has taken time to scout the Pars he insists that it's what his team will do on the day that really counts.

He said: "I’m not really fussed about how they play and I don’t mean that to be disrespectful towards Dunfermline.

“I’m more worried about us than the opposition.

“We want to get back to winning ways as quickly as possible and the team in the way of us trying to do that is Dunfermline.

“Every team in this league will go through spells where they’re not winning games of football.

"That’s just natural with the standard of the teams in the league this season.

“Hopefully, we’ve had ours and it’s come at the start of the season and we can now build after getting a point away to everyone’s favourites to go on and win the league in Dundee United.”

Ton have had to send three players for operations already this season as injuries hamper their season in stark contrast to last year.

But the manager hopes the curse is almost over.

Imrie said: “I’m not trying to make excuses because ultimately I’m the manager, I sign the players and pick the team, but over the last six weeks we’ve had big players missing.

“It's not helped the group. Last season we had little to no injuries until the last few weeks.

“To have the injuries that we’ve had so far has knocked us for six, but it was pleasing to see these guys return to the fold.

“I just hope that that’s us on the other side of it and that we can kick on now."