Dunfermline Athletic goalkeeper Aston Oxborough has been recalled by parent club Motherwell for Saturday's Scottish Premiership match with Hibernian, pulling him out of the Pars' plans at the sharp end of the season. Oxborough had played in Tuesday's first leg of Dunfermline's Scottish Premiership play-off semi-final against Partick Thistle, but he was absent from the squad for Friday's return leg at Firhill, where Billy Terrell started in goal.

The move matters because Motherwell are fourth in the Premiership and two points above Hibernian before the final league fixture of the season, so the club brought the 28-year-old back to cover a game that could still shape the table. For Dunfermline, it means another change in a position that has already been adjusted during the play-off tie, with the first leg and the return at Firhill both carrying consequences for a team trying to keep its promotion push alive. The earlier meet-up between Partick Thistle and Dunfermline Athletic had already set up a tight second leg, with the sides level at 0-0 in the decisive play-off contest.

Pars manager Neil Lennon said Oxborough would be back for the Scottish Cup final against Celtic on 23 May and for the Premiership play-off final if Dunfermline progress to face St Mirren. That leaves Motherwell using the loan arrangement for one last league assignment while Dunfermline must get through the rest of the play-off route without certainty over who starts in goal next time out. Lennon’s comments also underline how tightly packed the end of the season has become, with club priorities colliding in the closing days and the same player moving back and forth between two very different stakes.