Lennon annoyed at 'unfair' Dunfermline fixtures

Scottish Cup semi-final: Dunfermline Athletic v Falkirk

Date: Saturday 18 April Venue: Hampden Park Kick-off: 12:30 BST

Coverage: Watch live on BBC One Scotland, BBC Sport website & iPlayer, listen on BBC Radio Scotland & BBC Sounds, text updates on BBC Sport website

Exasperated Neil Lennon has described his Dunfermline Athletic side's fixture schedule as "really unfair" leading up to Saturday's Scottish Cup semi-final against Falkirk.

Dunfermline have had to play rescheduled Championship matches in each of the past two midweeks as his fourth-top team look to also secure a promotion play-off place.

Lennon has been rotating his squad with the Hampden Park showpiece in mind and managed to eke out a 2-2 draw away to relegation-threatened Airdrieonians on Tuesday despite making wholesale changes.

However, the Pars manager admitted: "I'm really annoyed about how many games we've had to play leading into this game. It's been really, I think, unfair."

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Dunfermline were unbeaten in eight games before losing away to title-chasing Partick Thistle on Saturday, with Lennon admitting that meeting Premiership side Falkirk had been in his thoughts when selecting his team at Firhill.

"We're getting punished for players getting picked for Scotland and for getting to the semi-final," he said.

"The game on Tuesday could have been moved a couple of weeks down the line before the end of the season. So we've had to go Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday into this game."

Airdrie's point against Dunfermline took them three clear of bottom side Ross County and within five of Greenock Morton.

"People might have been complaining about the integrity of our team selection on Tuesday," Lennon suggested. "Well, it's not our fault. Our hands were forced into that – and we got the result anyway.