Nisbet grasps opportunity against Thistle

“They are the ones who let me go saying it was too much of a gamble and I have come back and scored against them.

On Saturday Kevin Nisbet made a happy return to the club where he emerged from their youth system. Despite making 17 league appearances for the Jags between 2015 and 2017, when he lined up against his former employers it was for his first league appearance at Firhill. It turned out to be a successful afternoon for the 22 year old who told the media:-

“It was a team that let me go, it was my first time back and to get a 3-0 win was brilliant. It was also great to get the first win of the season, especially after not winning in the last few weeks. We can now kick on and get the next one against Alloa.”

When he fired the Pars into the lead midway through the first half it was Kevin’s first senior goal in the stadium and even though it came from a fairly fortunate shot, he was delighted to take it:-

“The first one I scuffed for the goal then when I hit the second chance clean and it hit the bar. I will take it, it’s a goal and we have got an away win. The win is the most important thing, we would have taken a 1-0 deflection but to come away 3-0 is brilliant.

Ryan Dow scored the second with a solo effort before Kyle Turner’s strike four minutes into the second half. Winning this bottom of the table clash against Partick Thistle coupled with results elsewhere meant that Dunfermline jump to 7th in the Championship. Kevin revealed that “It was all about us.

“We did not focus too much on Thistle. It was just get up and play off second balls. We did that well and bringing Ryan Dow back into the team just shows the quality that he has got, his goal was unbelievable.”

Kevin is a product of the Weir Academy at Thistle and he had loan periods at East Stirling, Ayr United and Dumbarton before signing for Raith Rovers in July 2018. He felt that he had to leave to be able to progress:-

“For me it was just about playing games and I got that at Raith. I played nearly every game - 40 odd games in a season.

“Thistle are the ones who let me go saying it was too much of a gamble and I have come back and scored against them. I am happy with that.

“I believe a lot in myself and knew that I couldn’t give it up. I have been playing since I was ten year old. For me it was just about getting to a team where I could play week in week out. I did that last season, scored a lot of goals and got my move to Dunfermline.”

He is delighted with the coaching staff at East End Park, claiming that they have been brilliant with him:-

“I think Stevie Crawford being a striker and me a striker it is good for my development. All the players are one hundred per cent behind the gaffer, Dan (Jason Dair) and Shieldsie and will continue to do so for the rest of the season.”

While sympathetic to the plight of Partick Thistle, Kevin showed little sentiment for the likes of his opponents who included one time team mates, Stuart Bannigan and James Penrice:-

“I still speak to them. Obviously it is terrible what has happened to Thistle over the past year, they have just gone down and down and down. Hopefully they start to come back up soon.”

A change of luck certainly came the Pars way on Saturday felt Kevin:-

“If you look back at the games, we have conceded a lot of penalties, some very soft and the luck has not gone our way. It changed against Thistle, at 2-0 they put a ball across the goal, it looked like a certain goal but it just deflected off and came back to us. We knew that it was going to be our day.

“Any team that has not won in their first five games is dying to get the first win. To come to a hard hard place to get a win, 3-0 and our first clean sheet of the season as well is positive for the back four and keeper. I think now we can kick on next week against Alloa.”

Related Stories

• Partick Thistle 0 Dunfermline 3
• Manager Post Partick Thistle
• Manager on Thursday
• Dunfermline 0 Inverness Caley Thistle 1