Managers post Dundee United

04/05/18: link to audio of both managers.
“We probably four really good chances where you are expected to score and that has probably come back to haunt us.

Allan Johnston was naturally extremely disappointed with the 2-1 defeat to Dundee United. He told the media post match that you want to win big games like that.

“It is all about getting the result and I think it was a bit harsh on the boys, they gave everything and were so unlucky not to score more goals. We had great chances and could probably have been abut more clinical. We could have had a we bit of luck as well, the keeper has pulled off a couple of great saves and obviously we have let in two poor goals from our point of view when we were in total control.

“It looked at that point 1-0 up in the second half that they (Dundee United) had gone. It looked as though they could have played all night and not scored. We gave them a massive lift in getting the goal from the corner. Then you know that you are always up against it.”

The defeat felt so much worse because the Fifers had been so much in control up until the equaliser, AJ added:-

“We probably four really good chances where you are expected to score and that has probably come back to haunt us. You couldn’t fault the boys for effort. After the midweek game where we were down to ten men for a large part of the game, they ran and showed their fitness and heir desire to win the game.

“I am sure that they are gutted just now but I have been there as a player. I was at Sunderland when we got beat in the playoff final. To be fair they came back the next year and won the league hopefully it is a similar scenario for us.”

The manager disagreed with a suggestion that his players heads went down after United scored.

“When Stanton scored the second one, he actually miscontroled it and it goes through. Sometimes you need that wee bit of luck that you need and that is what happened. We never got the luck today and the keeper has pulled off a couple of great saves. We have to be more clinical as well when we get one on one. When we are in really good areas we have to finish teams off. We let United back in the game.”

The Pars first substitution on the night with 16 minutes remaining saw Kallum Higginbotham withdrawn to make way for Jean-Yves M’Voto. The manager explained his thinking:-

“You are just hoping that you are going to go direct and see if we could cause them a problem. You have to try and mix it up sometimes and it is good to have height for a different option. You can see it is not the way that we play.

“I thought first half that our passing was excellent and we should have killed the game off.”

Picking up on the managers comment about Sunderland, was he hoping to have the chance to do that at Dunfermline next season?

“Who knows. I think the majority of boys in our team are out of contract as well so that’s a discussion for another day. I suppose from my point of view we have progressed each year. I would rather have won the league rather than be on the play offs but hopefully that is to come.”

In closing the manager praised the fans with more than 2000 making the journey to Dundee:-

“The fans back us. Look at the support it was incredible how much we had sold out. I don’t think that they will be critical of the performance either because you can see that the boys never left anything on the pitch, they gave everything they had.”

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