Cal leads fight to put things right
Monday, 11th Dec 2017"We allowed Stephen Dobbie free rein which is probably what lost us the game. He set up two and scored three.
After Saturday`s hugely disappointing result against Queen of the South, Callum Morris did not duck the captain`s responsibility to talk to the media. He did agree that the Pars downfall was the inability to restrict the Queens striker who turned 35 earlier this month. The skipper said:-
"When you play against Queens Stephen Dobbie is your biggest threat. You want to try and nullify him and that is one of the major things that we didn`t do.
"That was disappointing because earlier in the season we got a 0-0 down there. I know it was a tight, scrappy game but at least we were a lot more solid.
"We allowed Stephen Dobbie free rein which is probably what lost us the game. He set up two and scored three. He was probably the difference but I think all over the park we were second best. It is not good enough especially after our performances at the start of the season."
Dunfermline lost the first goal in just the eighth minute. Dobbie gathered a clearance out of his own penalty box on the left touchline midway inside his own half. He brushed off the challenge of Nat Wedderburn before cutting in and hitting a diagonal ball from just inside the Pars half.
Andy Stirling looked like he was going to collect and take the ball left but instead a clever backheeler set up Chris Kane who had shaken off the tracking of Lee Ashcroft. Sean Murdoch came out to narrow the angle and Callum Morris slid in but neither could prevent the ball nestling in the bottom left of the Fifers net.
A second goal followed in 27th minute and again it was a Dobbie pass that gave Kane the chance to double the lead. Callum continued:-
"Conceding the goals early put us on the back foot. At half time we knew that we had to get an early goal which we did. I thought we would get back in the game but we reverted to how we had played from the start of the game. It is disappointing.
"Our form has not been great recently, it is something that we need to put right. We will work on that from Monday, we will have a look at the video and see what we need to do."
When questioned about the mood in the dressing room, the captain stressed that there is always belief in there and said:-
"The good thing is that everyone wants to fix it, there are no heads going down. Everyone is angry, disappointed and very frustrated but everyone is going to be in there fighting to make it right.
"Maybe a result like Saturday`s gives you a wake up call. Recent results have been drawn games when we should have won. This was a defeat that we did not merit anything from. We need to make sure that we put it right on Saturday."
The fans reaction to such a heavy home defeat was understandable and Callum was sympathetic to their boos.
"They are just venting their frustrations, I think if we were in that position we would probably have been doing the same. That is just part and parcel of football.
"Obviously they have been behind us all season and they have got to see a lot of very good football at the start of the season. Recently he have hit a dip in form that we need to put right. The only people who can do that is us."
Defending is not just the job of the back four and Callum added:-
"It works both ways, we have to do better as a team on both boxes. That has been the difference. Last week at United the same thing (happened) we gave away two scrappy and maybe didn`t take our chances.
"At the start of the season it was the complete reverse, we were scoring at will and doing well defensively. That has been flipped on its head recently and that is something that we need to look at and put right pretty quickly."
Next up are second placed St Mirren who Dunfermline will meet at the Paisley 2021 Stadium on Saturday, Callum concluded:-
"Every game in this league is difficult, everyone is beating each other but we have to go to St Mirren, hopefully with a big crowd there again and it is a good platform for us to go and put things right."
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