Managers post Ross County
Saturday, 2nd Feb 2019Link to audio of both managers post match comments
- - Listen to Stevie Crawford post match comments
Stevie Crawford was disappointed to lose in his first home game in charge:-
“The first half was really good, really positive. To do that against the team sitting top of the league was very encouraging. Stuff we had worked on, Bruce (Anderson) coming in and giving us that wee bit of guile, intelligence and know how up top.
“I know that he is only young but I am delighted because, not only did he score his goal, he had a couple of chances before that as well. He knows the positions to get into to score goals. I thought the rest of the team were great in terms of the way we had worked toeards getting at Ross County on the counterattack.
“The horrible side to it is after we lost the goal in the second half, you could see the confidence go from us. We will focus on the first half but we will have to look over the second half and the manner in which we lost the goals because the first half counts for nothing and we have come away with no points today.”
The Dunfermline players were insistent that Billy McKay was offside for the equaliser?
“I have had a look back at it and he is definitely onside. As frustrating as it is, the linesman has made the right call.”
There was good link up play between Anderson and El Bakhtaoui, is that something that you hope that they can build on in the coming weeks?
“I said that for the January transfer window we would do our homework to see who we could bring in. Bruce has come in and done well today. Other people have stepped up to the mark in the first half and given him the opportunity to get the goalscoring chances. Faiss did well but it is competition for places that we need.
“We have two weeks to prepare now for our next game, fingers crossed we get a couple back from injury which then brings competition as well. It is a sore one to take, I am not saying the second half is acceptable in any way but probably that is why Ross County are sitting top of the league and we are where we are at the moment.”
Given the position that the team is now in, how will you go about lifting the dressing room?
“The first half, and the other games - as frustrated as we were that we were not scoring goals, we are probably getting the majority of possession in those games. Sometimes results don’t go for you and people don’t look at it that way. They are right, you have to win games of football. I know that and I will take that on the chin. It is our job to make sure that the boys take confidence from the first half.
“They have to dig in, the best always manage to find a way. There is a ten to fifteen minute spell in every game when it is not just down to football, down to technical ability it is down to just knowing how to see that horrible phase in a game out. Unfortunately today we did not do that.”
You said last week that your designs are on the top four, is there concern though that Falkirk and Partick are building up some momentum and starting to claw back the gaps at the bottom?
“Our focus has to be on ourselves at the moment. It is in our hands. When I came into the job we were looking to try and get into fourth place. It becomes more difficult the mor games pass by without getting three points.
“The focus for ourselves is to demand what we got in that first half today. We will look back at it, if it means that we have to change personnel for the next game so be it because if we are not winning games we have to come up with a formula that is right. It will not be through the lack of trying and doing homework on opposition.”
- - Hear from Ross County Manager Stuart Kettlwell
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