Manager on Thursday
Thursday, 4th Jan 201804/01/18: AJ - "It is actually a shame that everybody is talking about what went on the sidelines than actually talking about the performance.
Manager Allan Johnston was pleased to get 2018 off to a winning start and all the more satisfying since the New Year fixture was against Falkirk.
"It was a game that we wanted to win, you could see what it meant to the fans and players, everyone at the club. It is always good to kick start the New Year with a win over your rivals.
"We wanted to get a result. Last year we found it hard to get results against them. We won here the last time against them so it was important that we put in a good performance and got three points because it is an important period coming up with the run of home games that we have got after the Dumbarton game."
The manager made a point of congratulating Dean Shiels at the end of the Falkirk match, one in which he was continually abused, and he explained why:-
"It was because he showed a lot of composure. It must have been hard given some of the stick that he was getting from the stands. You don`t like to see that in football. It is poor and I`m sure Falkirk will deal with the fans who did it."
The manager was unaware of the objects thrown on to the field by certain Falkirk fans but commented:-
"I wasn`t aware of that but I heard about it after the game. You don`t like to hear about things like that in football. I thought it was a good game of football, when you look at the game both teams came and had a go. It must been a good one to watch for both sets of fans.
"It is actually a shame that everybody is talking about what went on the sidelines than actually talking about the performance. Falkirk had a spell in the game but I thought we started brightly in the first half and for the majority of the first half.
"They came into the game in the last fifteen minutes of the first half. There was a couple of outstanding saves from Lee Robinson. Then the second half I thought was pretty even, we possibly edged it with chances on the counterattack and we were unlucky not to score a couple more.
"Falkirk are a good team, they have good players and so it was an important win for us."
Allan Johnston was pleased with the performance of his newly acquired goalkeeper. Lee Robinson was an ever present in Allan Johnston`s league winning Queen of the South side. The manager will not let Lee forget that he put two goals past him for a Rangers Select in Derek Lyle`s testimonial match against Queen of the South back in June. That was the last match the 31 year old played prior to coming in against the Bairns on Tuesday. AJ feels that Lee will bring a lot to the team:-
"He is a good lad and it will be good to have really good competition for places. We have three really good goalies now. We have young Cammy (Gill) who we had no qualms about playing, it was just Lee`s experience. Knowing him really well and with his experience, I had every confidence that he would come in and do well. That is why he got the nod."
The manager extolled the keeper`s attributes:-
"He is really agile, he comes for crosses and is a bit of a character. I think it will be good for even Cammy Gill as well because he is a really good kicker, just getting the technique, learning and improving.
"Years ago Lee was probably not as determined to be a goalie as he is now. He wants to kick on his career and hopefully he does that."
In his first interview as a Pars player immediately after making his debut, Lee Robinson was clearly excited at joining such a "big club as Dunfermline" and the manager said that his keeper had played against Dunfermline enough to know the club. He was also well known to Allan Johnston and Sandy Clark:-
"He knows us as well so it is up to him now to go and put in a string of performances together to keep his place on the team. As I said we have three really good goalies, it is all about competition, making sure you do well and keeping your place."
The manager had no update on Sean Murdoch`s pubis injury, it appeared to be the same as it was.
"It just depends how it settles down. It is an injury that you cannot do much about. You just have to keep on icing and rest. Only time will tell but hopefully he will back sooner rather than later."
The last two matches and victories have been against the bottom two clubs in the Championship and Saturday`s fixture is against the team in third bottom. It was a 2-2 draw when the sides met at East End Park and Allan observed that Dumbarton always seem to dig in and earn points.
"They are a hard team to play against. They defend really well and try and hit you on the counterattack. They scored an absolute cracker of a goal when they played here.
"Forget their strengths or weaknesses, we just have to go out and play at the tempo that we did on Tuesday. We need to create chances, score goals, enjoy your football and get the fans off their seats."
On the injury front Sean Murdoch and Aaron Splaine are the only players ruled out. Aaron was at the club on Thursday, stookie removed and looking good as he embarks on his road to recovery.
"He has lost a lot of muscle in his leg. We have been really unlucky over the last few seasons with a couple of bad injuries but I`m sure that will help Aaron knowing that guys like Ryan Williamson and Callum Fordyce came back through it. They have come through the other end and are 100% fully fit. He knows that he will have to graft and work really hard but he will get there.
"He is on crutches now and over the next week or two the plan is to get him off them as well and putting a bit of weight on it. You just have to take your time with these type of injuries. Kenny (Murray) knows better than anyone how to progress it. We have every confidence that Aaron will come back bigger and stronger."
The manager asked to believe him when he said that he had been trying to sign players now that the January transfer window was open.
"Sometimes you think that you are close and maybe something else happens and it doesn`t quite work out. Sometimes that happens but we have a few players that we are looking at, we will have to see how that progresses over the next couple of weeks.
"We are looking at all our options and seeing which positions that we need to strengthen before we make any decisions."
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