Just a day after they arrived home from a week-long training camp in Bulgaria, which included a match on Thursday against Slavia Sofia, they travelled to League Two newcomers East Kilbride this afternoon.

John Robertson’s ninth minute goal was enough to separate what the Pars boss described as a “really good pre-season game” in the home side’s favour at K-Park.

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As they did against Slavia, Athletic fielded two totally different line-ups in each half, with a trialist taking place in goal for the opening period, and a defender turning out for the second.

A glut of youngsters, including Taylor and Jake Sutherland – the latter of whom struck the post after half-time – John Tod, Freddie Rowe, Ewan McLeod, and 16-year-old Lucas Fyfe, all featured.

In a game refereed by former Par, Sean Murdoch, Josh Cooper, who struck the bar late in the opening half, sent an early effort wide, before a Kane Ritchie-Hosler effort was saved, but Kilby went on to have most of the first period chances.

From a Dunfermline corner, Rowe did well to position himself to win the ball in the tackle after a foot race with Robertson, but the home man was able to run on to it and charge towards the edge of the box, curling a fine finish into the bottom corner.

The home side, who had another goal chalked off for offside, tested Athletic’s trialist stopper on more than one occasion, but one goal separated the teams at the interval.

Dunfermline’s second half line-up had more opportunities, the best of which saw Jake Sutherland clip the ball over the East Kilbride goalkeeper, only for it to strike the upright, but they couldn’t find a leveller.

FT. Jake Sutherland struck the post in the second half, but the Pars couldn’t find an equaliser as East Kilbride win this afternoon’s friendly.#DAFC #COYP pic.twitter.com/W5WcSngccO

— Ross Hart (@RossH_DP) June 28, 2025

Lennon, though, was pleased with the work-out, and commenting: “I’m really happy.

“You consider the week that they’ve had in Bulgaria, and then they played a game on Thursday, and then flew back yesterday, I was really pleased with the fitness levels, and obviously the chances we created as well.

“It was a really good pre-season game actually, so, I’m delighted with the way things are going at the minute.

“They’ve all like a game, 90 minutes under their belt now, so now you start to crank things up a bit football-wise.

“It’s pre-season so they all need to get the minutes in their legs, and we have worked them very, very hard physically.

“I mean, they’ve done over 80,000 metres this week, so some of them have probably not had a pre-season like that before, but they’ll feel the benefit of it going forward.”

When asked how tough it was with such a short turnaround from returning from Bulgaria to going into another match, the Pars boss added: “It was a long day yesterday, obviously flying back from Bulgaria.

“There was a few delays, and delays with the baggage as well, so some of the guys weren’t getting home to maybe six, seven o’clock last night.

“It’s obviously not ideal preparation, but it’s pre-season. Like I say, we only planned for them to play 45 (minutes) and it’s a mix-and-match as well with a lot of the younger players, and players who probably haven’t played with each other before.

“There’s going to be a few creases to iron out but, in the main, I’m delighted.”