Managers Post Morton
Saturday, 27th Apr 201927/04/19: Link to audio of both managers post match comments
- - Listen to this Stevie Crawford Interview
Pars boss Stevie Crawford told his post match press conference that he was not disappointed with his side’s first half performance:-
“It was later on in the week when we knew who we had fit. We felt that it was right to get as much experience on the pitch as we could. The first half was the story of how our season has been, we created chances but never took them when they came up and went in at 0-0.
“The second half levelled out a little bit. Both teams players on the pitch probably got nervous because of what was at stake. You don’t realise how the results were going to pan out today.
“I was disappointed with the penalty itself. I have had the privilege of looking back on it. There is no contact, so I feel for the boys.
“Jackson (Longridge) getting sent off had an impact on the game. Morton were coming at us but I thought that we were digging in but I was bitterly disappointed that we lost the game due to the penalty kick.”
What are your thoughts on the red card?
“What Jackson has done is given the referee a decision to make. That is all that I would say on that one. I could stand here all day and argue whether it is another yellow card or whatever but what he has done, with a little bit of naivety is given the referee an opportunity to make a decision.”
Asked about the changes to his starting eleven and going three at the back, SC replied:-
“It wasn’t to make us more defensive. Over the years of being involved in the game, when you are playing an important game of football, it is not just what actually happens on the pitch it is dealing with the game itself. There was a lot of pressure going into today’s game because of where we found ourselves in the league.
“It was important to try and get the right amount of experience with the right shape that allowed us to be an attacking threat. To give us a chance for our wing backs to give us the width to get balls into the box and allowed us to play with two out and out strikers.
“It was something that was sprung on the boys in the last couple of days but I thought they equipped themselves reasonably well.”
The consolation from the defeat is that Dunfermline Athletic are assured of playing in the Championship next season.
“In the run of league games that we are on at the moment, we are not happy that we are losing games by the odd goal. We never got carried away when we went on that run of five games but it is getting the balance right. When we are on top in games we need to start killing teams off. That is something that we will hope to improve over the summer.”
Asked about the apparent goalscoring problem Stevie said:-
“Sometimes it is the hardest thing in the world to put the ball in the back of the net. When we went on that run of five clean sheets, the boys were working hard but on the run at the moment where we are not winning games we have come off it a little bit.
“As a striker when you are going through tough periods you just have to keep working, believe in yourself that chances are going to come. We have not scored enough goals this year and it is something that we will look to address.”
- - Hear the post match comments from Jonatan Johannson
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