Managers post Morton

11/01/20: Link to audio of both managers post match interviews

Dunfermline manager Stevie Crawford explained how having already lifted no points from his previous visit to Cappielow, he decided to try a different approach:-

“We decided to put Euan Murray in the middle of the Park to give a little bit of strength to us alongside Paul Paton. I thought we were excellent for the first half hour that we were excellent. We took the game to Morton and scored a very good goal.

“That seemed to upset Morton and they got after us a little bit. They had a better spell towards the end of the first half. It is important at times like that that you see it out but unfortunately we have lost a poor goal to allow them back into the game.”

Is that worrying now that it is five defeats on the bounce?

“Listen, it is not nice and people say that you can go on a winning run and it becomes habit, equally when you are on a losing run it is hard to break out of it. The first half hour today to a man I thought we were excellent. The boys have come to a hard place and played some really good football.

“The thing that we have said that we have to address is losing three goals from crosses today and we are very much a group with a lot of their futures ahead of us and a lot of development in them, but we have to learn and we have to learn quick.”

How did you feel Dom Thomas did on his Dunfermline debut?

“Dom did great. When we were on top in the first half I felt that he looked to try and face up his opponent and be very positive. He put good deliveries into the box. Possibly he tired towards the end of the game but I think Dom will be a good addition to the squad.”

When you are on a run like this and given how tight the league are the consequences more pronounced?

“It is never nice. We are losing games by the odd goal and as I have just said to the boys, Kevin goes up and sticks one in the top corner. If you get something from it you get a nice feeling about yourselves but we have not given ourselves the opportunity to win the game of football.

“We have conceded three goals today that could have been prevented and the only way to do it is to continually work on the training ground to try and help players. We are responsible because we are putting the players out on the park but equally we have to try and educate them to get better.”

What was your thinking about bringing in Gabby McGill for just his second start in the league today?

“We just thought coming down here and in such conditions, we did think about possibly playing just one up front earlier in the week but felt that going with two upfront could unsettle Morton’s back four.

“It worked. I felt Gabby led the line really well. He wasn’t taken off for any reason other than he was probably feeling a bit leggy. In the main he did very well in the game for himself.”

What can you say to reassure the fans that you can turn this poor round around?

“You have got to have belief. If you don’t have belief, I am not standing here that we have lost five on the bounce but as evident as it was against Alloa and Ayr United in previous weeks, the first halves have been very good performances. What we need to do is to make sure that when the game goes against us that we give ourselves a platform to go and take points from games.”

Are you looking to do more business in the coming weeks, will there be more coming in?

“Like I have always said, we do our homework, we try to do everything to try and strengthen the squad if the right personnel becomes available and if we think that it is the right fit to help move this club forward. Then we will try and do so.”

Related Stories

• Morton 3 Dunfermline 2
• Preview Morton
• Manager on Thursday
• Player movement