James recipe for goals
Friday, 28th Dec 2018“You can’t fault anyone’s effort, everyone is trying and pulling in the right direction it is just that we need to start scoring more goals as a team.”
There was no doubt what was upper most in the mind of Pars midfielder James Craigen on the eve of the derby game against Falkirk on Saturday. His Christmas list was a run down on what was required for goals to come their way:-
“We need to create the chances, looking at Saturday’s game the chances were there. We need the lads to be in the right positions and nine times out of ten they are, then it is just composure and quality to hit the back of the net. We need self belief that you going to score, we have to attack the ball and be calm in front of goal.”
He summed it all up by adding he didn’t think there is any substitute for hard work. “It is all easy to say but when things are not going well in any job it is just hard work that puts it right.”
James’ goal against Morton on 1st December was the last scored by Dunfermline and they have now gone three league matches without hitting the net. James described it:- “it was nice to get on the scoresheet, it was a bit of a gamble to get into the box but the ball fell to me and I smashed it in.
“You cannot just rely on strikers it has to be pinched in from all around the team, whether it is centre halves going up for corners, midfield players, and of course strikers as well.
James feels that in both games against Falkirk this season Dunfermline have been by miles the better side, even though the record reveals one win and one defeat. The 27 year old who made 42 appearances for Falkirk in season 2015-16 claimed “surely they are not going to put in a home performance like that again in the derby?
“I expect them to be right at us from the first whistle so it will be up to us to handle that. I imagine I t could be scrappy for the first ten to fifteen minutes and then it will be up to whoever can show a bit of quality and string some passes together and get some goals.
Falkirk lost 2-1 at Tannadice last Saturday and James warned that they will be even more keen to take three points. The Bairns sit bottom of the league but that defeat at the hands of Dundee United was their first in six league matches.
“They will be wanting us to bring us back down towards there. We want to be chasing at the other end so it will be a big game for us on Saturday.”
Despite the massive clear out at The Falkirk Stadium James rattled off a string of opponents who were once his team mates there:- Aaron Muirhead, Tommy Robson, Jordan McGhee, Joe McKee. He praised manager Ray McKinnon’s ability to ‘steady the ship’ since he made the switch from Morton.
“I have worked with him before, he is a good manager but he will be waiting for January to strengthen like most teams in the league.”
A player that McKinnon has at Dundee United, Paul Dixon has been signed but he will not be able to play until January.
Saturday will be the third return by James to Falkirk and knows that he and Kallum Higginbotham can expect boos from the home crowd when on the ball.
“The games I have played back there have always been positive results. You must be doing something right if you are getting booed.”
James hopes that Saturday’s match is not like the scrappy game in the first half against Ayr United. He reflected:-
“They had a good chance when Lee Robinson made a good save. Second half we were good for the first fifteen to twenty minutes. They were there for the taking we just needed to put the ball in the back of the net. Higgy flashed some great balls across, we looked dangerous from setpieces, Aidan Keena had a couple of shots but we didn’t get the elusive so you come off feeling like it was a defeat and definitely two points dropped.”
That feeling is certainly due to lack of goals, he continued:-
“We need to keep believing that we are going to score. You practice shooting in training, creating chances but it has been the story of our season really from probably week two of the league campaign. We probably have had more of the ball, created chances but not sticking them away is frustrating. You have to keep believing that you are going to get a couple of goals each week.
“It is just hard work really but when you are not scoring as many your confidence in front of goal does dip compared to if you are banging in fifteen to twenty by January.
“The lads in front of goal are lacking in confidence. You can’t fault anyone’s effort, everyone is trying and pulling in the right direction it is just that we need to start scoring more goals as a team.”
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