It would have been a special Open Day for Dunfermline if they could have shown off the Scottish Cup today.

Defence stood strong for 84 mins
Dunfermline's open day at East End Park today gives the fans who travelled to Hampden to watch their favourites nearly win the Scottish Cup yesterday the chance to say thanks for the memories. On the cup run, the Pars saw off Rangers, Hearts, Partick Thistle and Hibs, after a semi-final replay, on their way to the Hampden final. The cup form showed that they had a team that could win. The fact that they could not reproduce that kind of form on a regular basis in the SPL resulted in relegation. However, on yesterday's showing they will have to be installed as one of the pre-season favourites to be heading back into the top flight this time next year. While Celtic did not display the form of champions, Dunfermline looked to be first to the ball on many occasions and did not give Neil Lennon or Steven Pressley an easy time in the heart of the Parkhead's sides defence.

Sheils and Burchill prepare to disrupt the Celtic wall
I am sure that manager Stephen Kenny's autograph will be as popular as the players when the gates open today for a fun day in Fife. His arrival in the dugout sparked a mini-revival in Fife, unfortunately too little too late. However, he has shown that he has learnt a lot about how to play Scottish sides and get the best out of his limited resources. New strips to be signed will mean that the cup final squad can expect writer's cramp today. Yesterday's result may have an impact on the numbers that turn out for the chance to meet the team and see a bit behind the scenes. They would have to hire extra security if the Cup was on display but the players deserve to be lauded loud and long for their efforts yesterday. But for a slight deflection of a cross into Jean-Joel Perrier-Doumbe's path, I was thinking that it would be the Pars that had got the tactics right and could well have pulled off the same result as they achieved against Hibs in the semi-final replay. A team and a manager to watch in the First Division.

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