Christmas cheer to a point
Monday, 24th Dec 2018“We played a top, top team. They were top of the league and we more than matched them. In my opinion, I believe that we were the better team.
The stadium playlist included Wizzard’s “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday” but a draw at home against the league leaders just wasn’t enough to keep that song ringing in the ears as Pars fans made their way home.
After dominating large parts of the game, especially in the second half there was not be be that illusive victory. Kallum Higginbotham felt that the drawn game against Ayr just followed the pattern of his team’s season so far. He claimed:-
“We played a top, top team. They were top of the league and we more than matched them. In my opinion, I believe that we were the better team.
“It is not for the lack of effort, we give 110% every week, I don’t know how many shots we had on target but it is that clinical finish in front of goal, that final pass that is letting us down at the minute.
Kallum certainly provided plenty opportunities for his team mates with a regular supply of crosses into the box that were just in need of a good finish. That was something that he was keen to remind his team mates:-
“Next game if they are on a plate like that again they had better put it in the back of the net. There is a fine margin. Ashy and Danny (Devine) have been throwing themselves at the ball and there was one for Aidan (Keena) in the first half where it just goes under his foot. On another day, they go in.
“We just have to keep banging at the door and hopefully it will start to turn for us. We are working hard in training everyday and over the last couple of games the fans will have seen the efforts that we have been putting in.”
The success on Saturday was built on the achievement of restricting the chances available to the Ladbrokes Championship’s top goalscorer, Lawrence Shankland. Higgy offered his praise:-
“All credit to the defence. He is probably the best striker in Scotland at the minute, so it is a surprise that he missed that chance near the end which would have stolen the three points for them. I think that is the little bit of luck that we have deserved through the hard efforts that we have put in.
“Credit to Danny and Ashy for keeping Shankland quiet. He is their main threat without a shadow of a doubt. We knew that if we kept him quiet, we would keep Ayr quiet and it seemed to work.”
Shankland was joined up front by sub Craig Moore after he came on for former Par Michael Moffat midway through the second half. Many watching felt that the Ayr United sub should have been shown a red card for his 81st minute tackle on James Craigen.
Higgy felt that is not for him to put an opinion across and commented:-
“It was a bad tackle, I can only say that. He was fortunate to stay on but the ref has got to make a decision. He has given a yellow card and we just have to get on with it.”
That heated moment came just eight minutes after what Ayr centre back, Steven Bell described as a ‘coming together’ and questioned when referees do and do not allow contact. That incident involving Aidan Keena and the former Par claimed that he had watched the Dunfermline centre halves constantly manhandling Lawrence Shankland without the referee’s intervention. Kallum continued:-
“It was quite far away from the goal, Aidan is quite nippy and I believe that he would have got on the end of the ball but it is hard for the referee. It is a split decision that he has to make in such a short space of time. He gave a yellow card, it may have changed the game, maybe not. It would have been better if he had got on the end of it, I believe he would have scored. It is just one of those things.”
Kallum agreed that there were many positives to take out of the performance against Ayr and he is keen to move on now to what he knows is a massive game next week away to Falkirk:-
“These are fantastic games to play in especially being a derby that we will all be looking forward to.
“When you look at the league table six points don’t look like too much of a distance. I know the quality that we have in that dressing room, I know what we put into every day in training and some weeks we have not been showing that on a Saturday. That is why everyone is getting frustrated - us and the fans.
“We are all frustrated at the position that we are in, but if we keep putting the hard work in training every day and put that in on a Saturday when it counts I believe we will be pushing up towards the top of the table.”
“It just hasn’t worked out that way and a couple of wins could get us back into the play offs. If we get that come the end of the season then I think the club will be happy.”
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