Managers post Queen of the South

02/03/19: Link to audio of both managers post match comments

Stevie Crawford felt that the conditions were not the best for a game of football.

“The boys have something about them just now, there is a belief that we are not going to concede easy goals. Queens gave us some problems, Dobbie and Dykes are clever players but we battled through those periods of the game and Ryan Blair scored a really good goal to win us the game.”

It was suggested that the match had not been the prettiest to watch but Stevie pointed out that had he said four weeks ago that Dunfermline were going to win four in a row against the opposition that we were up against “we would have absolutely have bitten your hand off.
To see the energy and commitment that they put into it, the boys are a credit to themselves.”

With Inverness Caley Thistle in William Hill Scottish Cup duty the result takes the Pars into fourth place in the league, Stevie said that he had used that as a pre match incentive.

“With the way the fixtures were with only ourselves and Falkirk (v Morton) playing last night we could be sitting in a play off place and nobody could do anything to stop that. They played with a little bit of pressure on them but it will give them a good weekend to look at that league now.”

Four matches, four shut outs and no goals conceded now in 373 minutes. SC said that was the pleasing thing:-

“When we look back and analyse games the boys are working to a certain shape, when teams are getting at us and maybe have better periods in the game we seem to be getting bodies in the box to defend the situations. It is not going to continue with clean sheets for the rest of the season but it is not a coincidence tha we can build from that.

“The icing on the cake was Ryan (Scully)’s save at the end when he gets down to that one and it is another clean sheet for him.

“Bruce is the one that starts it upfront where he is limiting boys from getting on the ball and getting comfortable possession.”

It took just one goal to separate the teams but it came from a really good Ryan Blair strike:-

“That is something that Ryan has had. I got back to when he was a fifteen year old boy at Falkirk. He is a very good passer of the ball, he has a good strike and great at set plays. He deserves that, he has been magnificent since he came in from day one.

“The three that we added to the squad are good characters that are now helping the boys getting results.

“I don’t know if Ryan is an out and out goalscorer but the one thing that Ryan has got is an assist in him. He has got a decent strike from distance, you could see that from a first half free kick. The keeper has done well to save that.

“The pleasing thing for the coaching staff is that it is collective at the moment. I said to the boys before the game before we read out the starters and the subs, that every player has had an opportunity. Rightly so because it is a team game.

“In terms of commitment we can only demand the same again. If you were to say ‘is there more to come’ ideally you are looking at pre season before you can really start bedding in ideas.

“It is difficult coming during the season so to bring a style of play or if people are going to turn around and say what this management team are going to try and do, it is difficult.

“The boys have played a 4-1 4-1, we have played a 4-4-2, we have played a diamond - it is not as if we are coming out every week and asking them to play in the same manner. It is the demands I am putting on them and they are responding to them.” Has

Stevie praised the backing given by the East End faithful:-

“The league performances that we have had, with results hard to come by to begin with but the fans will go home with a feel good factor tonight. It is nice to know that they can go for a pint, watch the tele or go to their work or school on Monday and they can look at us back in the play off position.”

Related Stories

• Dunfermline 1 Queen of the South 0
• Preview Queen of the South
• Dunfermline 3 Partick Thistle 0
• Ayr United 0 Dunfermline 1