Managers post Kilmarnock
Tuesday, 13th Oct 202013/10/20: SC: - “I think that we have shown, after getting the first goal, that we have goals in the team.”
The Dunfermline manager Stevie Crawford felt like professional is exactly the right word to describe his performance against a depleted Kilmarnock side. Although his side had a lower average age, the Pars ran out comfortable 3-0 winners to top Group E with a maximum nine points from the three group matches they have so far played. Stevie told the assembled media trackside:-
“I thought it was a good attractive game of football in the first half, we were limited to the chances that we had and Kilmarnock caused us problems at times. But I thought that we were patient and I think that we have shown, after getting the first goal, that we have goals in the team.
Stevie Crawford post Kilmarnock
Fri, 9th Oct 2020
“There were some excellent deliveries and some excellent finishes. I thought that it was a good attractive game of football in the first half, we were limited to the chances that we had and Kilmarnock caused us problems at times.”
At the end of the night it had been the Murray Show, Euan scored the first and Fraser added two more. Stevie does not expect Fraser to score from every attempt like his second, a 35 yard out free kick that gave Colin Doyle in the Kilmarnock goal absolutely no chance as the ball sailed into his top right hand corner. “He definitely has the capabilities to go and do that.”
The next match, the first league match since March pitches Dunfermline against one of the favourites for promotion, Inverness Caley Thistle and Stevie commented:-
“It can be dangerous as well. From having played alongside him , I know Robbo, I know what he is like he is an infectious character. They will be wary of coming down to East End at the weekend but it is a game that we will look forward to and not get carried away with. We have said that to the boys as well.
“Our recovery starts now but we are in a good place but we will make sure that we are fully focused on giving Inverness the respect that they are due. We will be trying to get all three points on Saturday.”
Given that it looks like Dunfermline, as one of only three teams with so far nine points in the group stages, Stevie was asked how important it was for a club like Dunfermline to qualify for the next round? He replied:-
“I don’t know if we are through yet? We are just about there, at this moment it still means that we have to take something from the Clyde game. It is very pleasing, I said after the Dumbarton game that we are a club that doesn’t use the Betfred to get minutes into the boys legs.”
Steven Whittaker played the full 90 minutes but he is suspended for Saturday but Iain Wilson played the full game in the defensive midfielder role that Whitts had played in previous matches. Cammy Gill came in to play between the sticks and there were more minutes for Lewis McCann and Gabby McGill. SC closed:-
“I think that we have managed to rotate the squad to get minutes into boys. We are very much looking forward to the league campaign starting on Saturday.”
Kilmarnock manager Alex Dyer said:-
“They did alright alright the young boys, I knew the senior ones would run out of steam as well, because they had only trained a couple of days. I am glad that most of the senior boys got near enough 90 minutes under their belts and we look forward to the weekend.
“I thought the younger boys showed that they can handle the situation better than I thought they could. Credit to them, I thought that they worked hard and showed some good ability at times but it is a big ask. Over 90 minutes it is hard work and that is the reason why I couldn’t play eleven of them last week.
“Playing three, four or five of them at one time is not so bad, they have learned a lot. They all did well.
“The rest of the boys who have been out for two weeks are in tomorrow, they are ready to come back and start training. We will just get going with the next two or three games and see how they are.”
Asked if he might agree that Kilmarnock are virtually out of the League Cup as it now stands, the Killie boss replied:-
“I don’t know, I don’t know what is going to happen in the next week never mind next month’s time but at least I know that some of them can handle it.”
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