Doubtful decisions disappoint Dow

“I thought it was very soft especially considering I controlled it with my chest first. The second one I don`t think it was ever a penalty. ”

Ryan Dow will go down in the history of the 2019-2020 SPFL season as the scorer of the first goal of the league season but what is unlikely to be recorded is the unfairness he and his team mates felt with the 2-2 final scoreline.

The 28 year old, who joined Dunfermline from Scottish League Two champions Peterhead, was left to puzzle over how his new side failed to take all three points after making such an energetic start to Friday night’s match against Dundee. Speaking immediately after the game and still clutching the Man of the Match award bottle, Ryan said:-

“I don`t know. The boys are gutted in there. We have obviously not seen anything back but it is gutting to lose to the two penalties that we feel were soft.

”The second one I was right behind it. The ball comes back towards us and were away to clear it. I don`t know if it was because they were shooting in to the goal in front of their fans and their roar. It is just a hard one to take, especially the way we dominated in the first half. It was complete domination, I don`t even remember Dundee having a chance.

”It is hard but then again, it is gone now and we need to take the positives. They are up there with the favourites for the league and we dominated them for 45 minutes.”

Kevin Nisbet hit the bar as well which would have made it three before former Motherwell striker, Danny Johnston scored the first of his spot kicks just on the stroke of half time.

Dundee Manager James McPake would give his players bit of a rollocking at the interval and in sending them out for the second half committed two substitutes - Declan McDaid and Josh Todd - who helped create problems for their hosts. Ryan continued:-

’Obviously they had a bit of pressure in the second half but I still don`t feel that they had clear cut chances. We weren`t as much of a threat as we probably should have been in the second half but it is always going to happen - you never get two halves the same and have 90 minutes of dominance.

”They have good players, they are always going to be on top but I still don`t think that they cut us open. They got their penalty decision and that was it.

”It is one of these things. I am sure that we will come in on Monday, we will watch the video but it is gone now and we just need to take positives and look forward to next Saturday.

”There is nothing we can do about the decisions now. Whether you think that they were right or wrong they are gone and we have to reflect on the way we played in the first half. If we can keep doing that in games I am sure that we will win more than we will lose or draw.”

Had there been VAR, Ryan was adamant that the decision that went against him would have been no deliberate hand ball and no 45th minute penalty:-

”I’d love to see it again but it hit my chest. It has maybe bounced up and scuffed my arm. It is one of those, where normally if you are in box, especially as a forward player you kind if think oh no something has happened but they had the ball and I was just expecting to go and press.”

Instead referee Greg Aitken pointed to the penalty spot, Ryan said:-

”I`d like to see it back but I thought it was very soft especially considering I controlled it with my chest first. The second one I don`t think it was ever a penalty. ”

Ryan made over 100 appearances for Dundee United while they were an SPL club, and consequently was getting abuse from the Dundee support but Ryan said that was his preference.

”I’d rather get that, I don`t know what fans think when they give you abuse. Any player would say that it makes you play better and when you score it gives you that bit extra that you can enjoy.

”Especially in the first half they were booing us quite a lot. They were not going to be booing us if we were not playing well.”

Ryan scored only five goals last season and the first took until the last week of September to come, so clearly having scored two already for Dunfermline, Ryan is on a high:-

”Yes obviously to get off the mark on my Betfred debut took a wee bit of pressure off me. I have had a few assists and to get off in the league is another weight off your shoulders. As a forward player you are always thinking that you need to get goals and assists.

”I have started the season well and managed to score a couple of goals and chip in with a few assists. Hopefully I can continue with that.”

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