Strikers win-win for club

Dunfermline can use Kevin Nisbet’s success as an example to other players

Stevie Crawford has claimed that he and the club takes great satisfaction that Kevin Nisbet is currently the top goalscorer in the Premiership. Kevin scored 23 goals in 32 games for the Pars last season before joining Hibs this summer. After eight Premiership games Kevin has scored six times. The gaffer said:-

“Kevin was excellent in his spell here. It is a feel good factor for the club because of the connection. The fans will be able to relate to Kevin Nisbet and I’m sure that they will be keeping an active interest in him.

“Yes he has moved on and he is now a Hibernian player. Hopefully Kevin continues in a rich vein of form, I believe that he has the ability to continue and do well this season for Hibs.

“He has got the right coaching staff around about him but our job now is to try and give boys at this club to help take us nearer that Premiership where we want to be. If not when the door is getting battered down in January or at the end of the season that clubs are interested in talking to our chairman about trying to sign them and hitting us with another transfer fee.

“It is great that Kevin has gone on and showed that he can play at that level but it is still only over a short period of time. Kevin will have to do that consistently at that level. I have every faith in him that if he keeps dedicating himself the way that he is, he will go and have a successful season.”

Dunfermline can use Kevin Nisbet’s success as an example to other players and Stevie pointed out the reality:-

“Dunfermline is a big club and there is an expectancy. Kevin has had to play in front of a crowd when it is not going so well - the East End fans let you know for all the best reasons because they are passionate about their club. Equally if you are doing well at Dunfermline the fans get behind you. That is why, for as much as there is disappointment that Kevin has moved on, I think the fans can see the bigger picture.

“It now means that looking elsewhere, if we can see development in players they might on the back of the Kevin Nisbet one when we are talking and trying to get a signing over the line, that they are very keen to come to a club like Dunfermline.

Above: Declan McManus ready for his return to Pars

“We would like to keep them longer term, that is the bigger picture but sometimes when there are clubs playing at a higher level and money is involved then you cannot stand in people’s way when you have used that as part of the reason for bringing them to the club.

“I think it was a win-win for us. It has allowed us to strengthen the squad and gives others the opportunity to move on and show that they can play at a higher level.”

Declan McManus and Kevin O’Hara have been brought in to try and fill the goalscoring role vacated with Kevin Nisbet’s departure, Stevie spelt out how he would like to see this bear fruits.

Above: Kevin O’Hara has joined from Alloa Athletic

“Declan has been here before, that was a big factor in us bringing him back to the club. He is at a good age, he has been around for a number of years but I think he will take the weight of playing as striker at the club on his shoulders. That is not to say we will put all the weight on him and pass the buck on to him.

“We have to look after Declan and give him opportunities to score goals. But we have Kevin O’Hara, Gabby McGill and Lewis McCann who are relatively young with not a lot of game experience. Declan was big in that respect.

“We have permutations with these four, we could play two upfront, Declan could drop in and play just off the striker. Lewis McCann can play that role and I see Gabby and Kevin as out and out strikers. There is variety there and there are exciting options for us.”

Above: 19 year old Lewis McCann is ready to make an impact

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