Getting over the line Owain’s goal against Saints
Monday, 14th Dec 2020“I couldn’t tell you, I am in the thick of it and it is difficult for me to know what exactly is going on. Whether the match official sees it or doesn’t see it, I don’t know ...
Pars keeper Owain Fôn Williams and his team mates were in on Sunday in preparation for the Betfred Cup quarter final against St Johnstone on Tuesday. The 33 year old Welshman welcomed the quick turn around and stated how much everyone was looking forward to the match:-
“The pressure is on them, they are the Premier League team coming here to East End. It is a hell of a game for us to have a go and progress in the cup. It is some opportunity for us.”
The opportunity comes only three days after Dunfermline Athletic’s 100% home record was blown apart by Morton. Owain made several good saves but still lost two goals which were enough for the three points to be taken back to Inverclyde.
Although it made no difference at the end of the day, a major talking point was the 70th minute incident which centred on Owain. Morton claimed that the ball had crossed the line when the keeper palmed away a deflected Aidan Nesbitt shot only for it to fall for Kalvin Orsi who followed up. The opposition thought they had scored and then when a goal was not given they appealed vehemently for the decision. Owain explained how he had concentrated on his role:-
“At the time, and you can imagine and put yourself in my boots, when I have just made a save I don’t know where I am landing. All I am thinking about is where the ball is, nothing else. I made the save, I don’t know where I am in the goal or whatever. I am looking at where it is going to be played from next. Obviously their man gets to the ball and plays it. I am just there to stop the ball.
“Now I don’t know whether it is over the line. I couldn’t tell you, I am in the thick of it and it is difficult for me to know what exactly is going on. Whether the match official sees it or doesn’t see it, I don’t know what is going on I am just doing my best to try and keep it out.”
Morton’s claims were no more than Dunfermline would have made had the incident happened the other way around but their success was built on limiting the Fifers to shots from distances and few opportunities from within their penalty box.
Owain who joined Dunfermline from Hamilton Academical in August after a loan spell between January and March this year, claimed Morton’s defensive strategy was expected:-
“We knew that they were going to do that, it didn’t help that they got that first goal. Then they put everyone behind the ball and it was very difficult to break that down. We tried to move the ball as quick as we could from side to side and open gaps up.
“We had a couple of chances that we didn’t take. The ball maybe didn’t fall for us in the way that it might have done on another day in front of goal. We did create half chances, they just didn’t fall for us.”
A long throw in from Lewis Strapp in 24th minute created the first Morton goal.
“We knew it was coming, they had that threat and we knew that they were going to pump it into the box. What is frustrating is the second ball and how close we are. We pick up the second ball but don’t clear it well enough as we would have liked to.
“However we still need to be tighter and we weren’t tight enough. He has had a shot, it has been deflected and it goes the other side of me purely because I am anticipating the shot to go to the other side of the goal. It was one of them but we knew that they had that. We haven’t really executed that the way that we had planned.”
After winning nine and drawing two of their first eleven fixtures of the season in what was the best ever Dunfermline start to a season, Owain would not be shaken by the set back:-
“It has been brilliant and that is why we are so disappointed. Because of our form and the way that we have started the season, it is a kick in the teeth. But we dust ourselves down and it is a cracking game for us on Tuesday because there is no pressure on us. It is a cracking game to get something from that you are not expecting. We are ready for them and we will give anyone a fight.”
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