Darren Young's stomach lurched last weekend when one of his knees started to swell up after being knocked during Dunfermline's 3-0 defeat to Falkirk. Seven days before the Tennent's Scottish Cup final, it was the last thing he needed, particularly after his experiences of last season. A month before last year's CIS Insurance Cup final, which Celtic won 3-0 in the wake of Jimmy Johnstone's death, Young broke his metatarsal.
"I had X-rays and they said it would take four to six weeks to heal," he explained. "That was four weeks out from the cup final so I knew it was going to be touch and go. Three days before it I got a jag just to see if I could play through it. It was fine for the first 30-40 minutes in training and I was running about like a wee schoolkid thinking I was going to make it. Then I went to turn and I felt it. That was it. I knew it was over."
In the end, he took in the game from the stand but is confident of playing a more active role this time. His knee has responded to rest and he will return to training today ahead of Saturday's end-of-season showpiece. It is Dunfermline's third final in four years. Young was involved in the 2004 Scottish Cup final, when Celtic again beat them 3-1 after Andrius Skerla had given Dunfermline an early lead, and will relish the occasion once more.
"I've just played in the one, but it was a great experience," he said. "You know you're going out in front of 50-60,000 and you know if you win it you become club legends. It's everything about it - you're away for a few days, you're bonding, you have golf days and it's good for morale. Ever since we found out we were relegated we've been playing for places in the cup final. Obviously Tam McManus is out, Jim O'Brien too, Gary Mason is suspended and Stephen Glass is cup-tied, so there are going to be three or four places up for grabs. Everyone is up for it."
A resurgence over the past couple of months was not enough to prevent Dunfermline's relegation, but the Fifers have every reason to be confident ahead of their meeting with the champions. Their coupon-shredding cup run speaks for itself. "Apart from the Partick Thistle game I don't think we've been favourites in any of our ties, but we've managed to beat Rangers, Hearts and Hibs.
"John Collins the Hibs manager was still going on about the Hibs game and how they were the better team. In the space of two weeks we played them three times and didn't concede a goal. We took three points off them, knocked them out of the cup. Maybe it was sour grapes."
Dunfermline were criticised for their negative tactics in last year's CIS final, but Young is confident that manager Stephen Kenny will encourage them to play more expansively on Saturday.
"He's got his tactics spot on for every cup game so far. There's not much point in going to a cup final and trying to defend for the whole game and trying to get a lucky goal. I think he will go for it. He's won two cup finals this season with Derry City so we'll see. He's brought in two wingers, which is unusual in Scottish football, and Adam Hammill and Jim have done brilliant for us. We've been trying to get the ball down and pass it whereas earlier in the season we were maybe trying to just knock it up to big Jim Hamilton."
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