Manager on Thursday

26/09/19: SC - “Our home form has to improve, we are fully aware of that. The demands that we will put on the players will not be any different from what it has been in previous weeks.

This Saturday’s match brings together two teams in contrasting moods. Stevie Crawford is hoping his side take confidence from their win over Partick Thistle while being wary of opponents who suffered a 4-1 home defeat to Ayr United last week. Of course he also knows Alloa well since it was only three weeks ago that they were last at East End Park, he said:-

“They are really expansive in possession of the ball. They play like a diamond but it opens up and they have good rotation. I have watched the full game back and I think they flattened their midfield four off. They come on the back of a result that they will be disappointed with so we will have to be wary of that.

“We have to very much concentrate on ourselves. We have picked up a few knocks and strains but I think everybody will be fine come the weekend. We have to focus on what we are going to do to try and break Alloa down and win a game of football.

“The pleasing thing is getting that first league victory of the season. I am delighted for the players because of the commitment they have shown since coming in in the summer. They maybe haven’t had the rewards from it but that is all in the past now, we can look forward to the Alloa game now with a victory behind us.

“It does have its effects on morale within the squad but nobody was feeling sorry for ourselves and I think it showed on Saturday. If truth be told Partick probably started the game brighter than us - in the first ten to fifteen minutes.

“Credit to Josh Edwards who trained with us on the Thursday having had a calf injury the previous Saturday. He put his neck on the line. Joe Cardle was giving him a bit of a hard time in the early parts of the first half but he stuck to his task and ended up on the winning side.

“We are here to develop players, to try and win games of football and to see both of that on the same day is very pleasing.

“Dunfermline fans will know more than most that Joe Cardle, if he is having a good day, will get deliveries into the box. Zanatta on the other side I know from my time at Hearts, he is a handful. I felt that after the early parts of the game both Aaron Comrie and Josh adapted their game. Then we had Greg Kiltie and Ryan Dow in front also helping them on that side of things as well.

“We restricted their crosses and even though Lewis McCann when he came on for the second half started up through the middle, Greg had stopped a few crosses but his legs started to go so we changed those two over.

“It shows the team spirit and willingness to do the work for one another that Lewis McCann then found himself out doing that as well. It was pleasing that it was a collective effort to win the game of football.”

Ryan Dow returned after missing three games with a knee injury, SC commented:-

“We can talk about that and the effect it had on us but it is not all down to one player. What I will say is that the players will get a lift from the quality that Ryan has got.

“He is a credit when you talk about this being a club that is hoping to develop players and teach them in the right manner and create the right environment.

“Ryan typifies that by the way he goes about his business since picking up the injury because he just came up short of being available for selection the week before. He could easily have sat on that treatment table.

“He put his neck on the line, he lasted an hour on Saturday and not only was he a credit to himself, he showed what football means to him. He is still hungry at his age to go on and kick start his career.”

Someone else the manager felt benefited from the Firhill win was Kevin Nisbet who scored the opening goal against his former club:-

“It was good for him because the longer it goes especially as a striker, you start snatching at things. He scored his goal, he had a header and a couple of other efforts where one hit the bar. He was very close with an effort when cutting in from the left hand side in the second half.”

Stevie was keen to point out the other side of Kevin’s performance:-

“Kevin’s GPS results were as good as they have been all season as well. There are reasons why you win games of football, sometimes it is not just down to individual ability. If he can continue with that work ethic, he will only become a better player for it.”

After a number of decisions this season where decisions and luck have gone against Dunfermline was happy to take the luck with deflection that led to the third goal:-

“I have said that there are possibly things that have gone against us but over the period of a season it levels itself out. There was a goal line scramble in the first half where Josh Edwards did well to keep it out the net. Josh got a wee toe poke to it before they possibly get a chance from inside the six yard box.

“Kyle’s shot has hit the target, whether or not it would have gone in or not or Scott Fox had it covered, but he was there to hit the shot. We had worked earlier in the week to get crosses into the box.

“Lewis McCann was very much unlucky, he mishit his shot but then had the composure to lay it off with a good weight for Kyle to have his shot at goal. There was an element of luck with the deflection but it was stuff that we had worked on to earn the right to get the chance.

“The foundation is there now for us to kick on and it lifts the morale around the place. Our home form has to improve, we are fully aware of that. The demands that we will put on the players will not be any different from what it has been in previous weeks. You can see the energy, the spring in the step return after a victory.”

Updating on his currently unavailable players SC said Euan Murray, who injured his neck at Dumfries on 10th August, will have a consultation on Tuesday.

“We will see where he is with his scan result, if he gets the all clear then he will be back in contention for training and a first team start.

“Joe Thomson has his strength test at Murrayfield on Monday. So will see where he is in terms of his strength and his legs there to see if he can step up more contact in training as well.

“Gabby McGill unfortunately is feeling his Achilles so we might need to get that scanned. Being the Achilles we don’t want to take any chances with it. It doesn’t mean that he is definitely ruled out for the weekend. If I was picking the team right now he would be available but it is something that we just have to monitor on a daily basis.

“Andy Ryan has picked up a virus and missed training. He has had to see his GP and we don’t want anything passing around the rest of the boys. Hopefully he will be in amongst the squad soon.”

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