Hearts must beat Pars for overall title

The Edinburgh side won the South East region this season and have already secured  promotion to the First Division following the first leg of the play-offs last weekend.

But they can be crowned overall champions if they beat Dunfermline tomorrow, with losers of the first round of games, Murieston and Spartans, battling it out in the other match to decide which of them will get the  final one of the three promotion places.

Milne is looking forward to the clash and said: “We have played Dunfermline quite a few times and they are always close, tight games. We have done not too badly against them in recent times though and have probably come out on top maybe a bit more than them.

“We can’t read too much into that though as this is a one-off game. We know that they are a good side and I am sure that it will be a good game.”

Milne’s side are relatively young in league terms as they have been in existence for only the last three years, but he hopes that they can soon make an assault on the top flight.

While he stresses that his side still need time and experience, he believes that they are slowly but surely beginning to make their mark.

Milne, who has worked alongside both Craig Levein at Cowdenbeath and John McGlynn during his time at Raith Rovers, added: “I think that getting into the top division has got to be our aim and that we can keep going in the direction that we are at the moment.

“We are a relatively new side – and all of a sudden we are starting to make a mark. People are maybe starting to sit up and take notice.

“We want to keep building. I have got a very young side and at the moment we are continually planning for the future. I had four players in the side last Sunday who could have been playing Under-17 football but we thought that they would be able to handle it and have promoted them up into the senior side.”

The final play-offs take place at Alloa’s Recreation Park this Sunday, with Hearts’ game against Dunfermline kicking off at noon, followed by  Murieston v Spartans at 3pm. Admission is free.