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The visit of a Hearts team with four clean sheets from their first five league games would appear to spell nothing but trouble for a mis-firing Pars side. With the Pars languishing at the bottom of the table, already six points behind the Tynecastle side, the much-hyped "third versus fourth" battles of last season - between the two teams - seem like a distant memory.
After a hard fought draw with Rangers, Craig Levein's Hearts side wil arrive at East End Park with a great degree of confidence, further spurred on by the return to full fitness of captain Steven Pressley and last season's top goalscorer (with 16 goals) Mark De Vries - both playing important roles in the Tynecastle stalemate against Alex McLeish's side.
Any Pars players looking for a confidence boost going into Sunday's fixture would do well not to look at the club's past record against the gorgie side. Dismal doesn't even begin to describe the Pars record.
In a total of 49 games played at East End Park between the two sides, the Pars have won only 15 times, losing 23. With the Pars enjoying a somewhat miserable home record of late - with no wins in six - a poor home record against the Tynecastle side shows no signs of improving.
Having said that, the Pars overall record against Hearts fairs even worse. Out of 100 encounters, the Pars have managed a total of just 20 victories, losing a massive 57 times to the Edinburgh side.
The Pars recent record against Levein's side shapes up slightly better - but only just!
The first encounter between the two teams last season ended in dissapointment for the Pars after putting in a battling performance. The match - switched to Tynecastle due to the installation of the 'plastic pitch' - ended in a 1-0 defeat for the Pars after a Derek Wyness wonder goal.
The second match between the teams, played at East End Park on the 6th of December, came as somewhat of an early christmas present to Calderwood and his Pars side.
After being on the back foot for the majority of the game, the Pars escaped with a 2-1 victory thanks to a Derek Young opener and a rare Scott Wilson winner, Hearts replying through a long range Alan Maybury strike.
The third match between the two sides on the 28th of February - once again played at East End Park - reflected a "third versus fourth" battle with both sides unwilling to give much away.
However the Pars players and fans alike came away from the game - played in front of a surprisingly large East End Park crowd of 8,241, made up of mostly Hearts fans I hasten to add - feeling as though they should have won the game, instead coming away with a goalless draw.
The last match between the teams, played at Tynecastle, pretty much solidified 3rd place for the Jambo's - eventually ending up a mammoth fifteen points ahead of the Pars.
The post split game - played on the 8th of May - ended in a 2-1 win for Levein's side despite a spirited performance from a weakened Pars side missing important players such as Skerla, Crawford and Thomson.
Although the Pars went ahead through a first-half Andy Tod header, the home side eventually triumphed thanks to a Mark De Vries double.
With the game taking place this Sunday, the Pars could at least take some small consolation from the fact that the last Sunday match between the teams - played at East End - ended in a convincing 3-1 Pars. Less consolation can be taken from the fact that it was, the now departed, Stevie Crawford who played the biggest part in the win, scoring a double.
With the Pars going into the match desperate for the three points, Hay could have a fully fit squad for the match - Ritchie Byrne and Derek Young (who took part in the Reserve's victory over Motherwell) being the main fitness doubts.
After impressive reserve performances from the likes of Noel Hunt, Thomas Butler and Simon Donnelly one would expect Hay's starting line-up to have a slightly different look to it.
With the side facing a daunting trip to Celtic Park in their next SPL match, a win against Hearts is nothing short of paramount.