Inspired by substitution

Scorers Matty Todd and Lewis McCann reflect on their day in the sunshine

Above Matty Todd is congratulated on his goal

It can only happen in a friendly but Allan Johnston made full use of the flexibility allowed to introduce an entire team of substitutes just 13 minutes into the second half. The East Fife announcer rattled off the entire list of Pars subs although two of them were not in the eleven. Ultimate match winners Matty Todd and Lewis McCann described the feeling, Matty said:-

"It was quite strange although we thought we were going to come on at half time. Just into the second half however the gaffer said go and get yourselves warmed up. I felt that we went on and made an impact."

Smiles all round as Lewis McCann scores what turned out to be the winner

That impact however, did not happen until the second Pars team of the afternoon had shipped a goal within two minutes. East Fife striker Jonathan Court stuck away the opener leaving the young Athletic eleven to find two goals to win the match in the final half hour. Lewis (pictured below) continued:-

"We got a goal back straightaway. I ran down the line and crossed it to give Matty an easy goal. The winner came when we all did our part and I got through to finish.

"I should have scored another near the end. I should have shot instead of trying to lay it back. It`s just one of those things."

Matty elaborated on what was the winning goal:-

"It was good build up play down the channel, Josh Robertson played it in to Paul Allan. Paul passed it back to Josh who fired it in to McCann who took a great turn and finished it into the far corner. It was a good finish."

The two seventeen year olds who stepped up from Fife Elite Academy for this season were delighted to score in front of the travelling Pars fans. They felt that the fans responded to their style of play and took great encouragement from the appreciation shown from the stands. Lewis felt that the familiarity of the younger team greatly helped:-

"We had been a team for two years before we stepped up. We had all played with each other and know how each other play. We have already gelled.

"The step up has been brilliant" Lewis claimed. "Really good, I like the challenge playing against stronger, older opposition in training and see how you come through that test.

"Training has been tough, the first week was really hard - a lot of running and just a bit of football."

Lewis has impressed in training and was asked to tell us about a goal from an off the ground overhead shot that he netted on Thursday.

"The cross came in and I thought there is no way I am going to get the right power for a header so I just went for it and it went in."

Clearly fantastic for Lewis McCann to have that in the proverbial locker but Matty Todd has scored in both his last more visible appearances. He scored in the ultimately abandoned Fife Cup tie against Burntisland Shipyard before scoring the equaliser at Bayview on Saturday. Matty who plays anywhere in midfield, talked about his experiences since he started back in pre season training.

Above: Matty Todd at East Fife

"I just came back from holiday last week, started training on Monday and I`m just getting into a normal routine. Hopefully I can get a wee bit fitter over the next few weeks and kick on."

All the young players are in shock with the departure of John Potter to Sunderland and Matty continued:-

"It has been tough around the changing room with the boys. Potts has coached me for four years and it was tough not being able to say my goodbyes because I was on holiday."

Lewis added:-
"I only knew him for a year but I already felt close to him. He just made you feel that way, he made an effort to get to know you and have a bit of banter with you. It is hard to lose him. At least Stevie Crawford has been a good replacement, he is a nice guy."

Above: Matty Todd in action against East Fife

Related Stories

• East Fife 1 Dunfermline 2
• Managers Post East Fife
• Crawford out to fill Potts’s boots
• Player Sponsorship - Availability List