Manager on Thursday

23/08/18: AJ - “It is one that we are looking forward to, two teams that are on form so it should be a really entertaining game.”

Allan Johnston looked back on the narrowest of defeats to Hearts in the Betfred Cup last Saturday:-

“We were really unlucky, we have to take the positives from the game but learn that if you play like that you have to get results.

“We are disappointed at not getting the result but it was a good performance and we need to make sure we get it over the line and win these games."

So it is back to league business and in the last league match against Ross County AJ felt that there was not much between the teams:-

"We lost a couple of soft goals but we need to get back to clean sheets and not losing goals. It gives you that foothold in the game. We know that come this weekend we are going to have to defend well.

“Lawrence Shankland is scoring a lot of goals at the moment, Moff we know very well and he is playing really well too. It will be a tough game.

“Shankland is playing as a striker so he will be up against the centre halves. It is different if he was maybe playing in a position where he was picking up areas that are hard to pick up. They will watch his video highlights so that they know how he scores his goals and the runs he makes. Hopefully that will help us at the weekend.”

Shankland was on loan to Dunfermline Athletic for the latter part of the 2013–14 season. The 18-year-old striker scored seven league goals in his 14 appearances for the East End Park club however injury prevented him taking part in the Pars` end-of-season promotion play-off matches against Cowdenbeath. He has turned 23 this month and AJ added:-

“He has bounced about here there and everywhere since then. He has been part of a team that has been successful and that always breeds a bit of confidence. You can see that the whole team is playing with confidence at the moment. We just have to make sure that we go there fully focussed because especially against Ayr with whom there has been a lot of rivalry over the last few season, we know that it is going to be a tough one.”

This Saturday is the Pars first visit to Somerset Park since January last year. The gaffer warned:-

“It is a hard place to go, you cannot afford to start slow. We have to make sure that we start really fast. There are a couple of guys who have been here before, guys like Geggs, Moff and Lawrence. They will be desperate to prove a point and play well but it is up to us to go there and put a performance on and get a result.

“It is a ground where there is always a good atmosphere. The majority of times that we have played there we have taken a good crowd, maybe it is the standing. We certainly don’t want to let the fans down if they are travelling that distance to come and watch a game.

“It is one that we are looking forward to, two teams that are on form so it should be a really entertaining game.”

The manager said that his injury list has not changed. Lewis Martin, Tom Beadling and Sean Murdoch are still missing but other than them everyone else is fully fit. It was a groin strain that has kept Lewis out and his manager said:-

“He has probably progressed his rehab a bit too quick. He is having to take a stage but hopefully it should not take too long. We are making sure that Tom is alright and build him up a bit slower.”

Dunfermline Athletic can confirm that 18 year old striker, Callum Smith has joined Arbroath FC on loan for the rest of the season, with the option for recall in January. Last season Callum went out on loan to Alloa Athletic from January until the end of the season.

Congratulations to Lewis McCann who has been selected for the Northern Ireland Under 19 squad`s two friendly games against Slovakia which take place on 5th and 7th September.

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