Paul Paton says mistakes must stop

“It is up to the manager, he has some big decisions to make this week about maybe changing the side after three poor results. He might make a few changes you never know.”

Despite winning both games played against Ayr United this season the Dunfermline Athletic captain Paul Paton is predicting Saturday’s opponents will be tough opposition. He told this website:-

“They are a good side, they are above us in the league so there is a big incentive there to beat them and try to get above them in the next couple of weeks. That is what we are looking to do.

“We believe that we are good enough to win any game that we go into. Probably from a negative point of view it also looks like we could lose any game either. There is no consistency right now, that is something that we are wanting to take back.”

Come Saturday Pars fans will no doubt give a friendly 2020 welcome to former East End Park favourites Andy Geggan, Michael Moffat and Steven Bell but Paul will have a look out for a former team mate at Partick Thistle and Falkirk, Aaron Muirhead:-

“I have played with Aaron Muirhead at a couple of clubs. He is a good guy and I believe that he is doing well at Ayr. I hope Kevin Nisbet gives him a right hard time. It will be good to see him, he is a good family man, it is good see him doing well but hopefully he has a bad day on Saturday.”

Last Saturday was one of those bad days for Dunfermline as they went down 3-1 at home to bottom of the league, Alloa Athletic. Paul realises the unacceptable nature of losing three games in a row especially in the wake of three consecutive wins before that:-

“We are disappointed, we knew that it was going to be a tough game and although we felt we controlled large portions of the game, at the end of the day we made mistakes, gave poor goals away and never took all our chances so that is never a good combination.”

Alloa Athletic have taken seven points off Dunfermline in three league meetings this season and Paul added:-

“I’m sure that they would like to play us every week. It seems that they always do well against us, I don’t know what it is. In previous games they have played really really well but I thought on Saturday we were much the better team but we made mistakes at bad times in the game and in bad areas of the pitch. If you do that you are going to concede goals.

“You cannot legislate for mistakes and individual errors. We need to cut them out individually and collectively as a team and if we do that then we know that we can get a positive result on Saturday.”

After defeats we often hear managers and players say that their response will be to work harder on the training field but what does that really mean. Paul gave an insight:-

“We go over what has happened at the weekend, we speak about that and try and come up with a plan so that it doesn’t happen again. Obviously on a Monday it is important that you recover from the Saturday but it is up to the manager, he has some big decisions to make this week about maybe changing the side after three poor results. He might make a few changes you never know.”

A win over Mark Kerr’s Ayr United would see the Fifers leap frog the Somerset Park club and even though the memory of those three consecutive defeats has not dissipated Paul said:-

“I don’t think that there is any need to worry just now, we are playing some good football. As I say we controlled large portions of the game even though we made bad mistakes and ended up with a bad result.

“If there are any positives to take from it, I still thought we looked a threat going forward. Nizzy is still for me, looking like the best striker in the league. When we have him up front we are going to get chances.”

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