Drawing needs to come to conclusion

“We are just not getting that break at the moment but it will turn.”

Dunfermline have lost the knack of turning draws into wins claimed Ryan Dow and although the defence looks solid with just one goal conceded in the last four games, chances need to be converted into goals.

Speaking after the 0-0 draw at home to Ayr United, the Pars vice captain lamented not taking full advantage of league leaders, Hearts 3-2 home defeat to Raith Rovers. Coupled with third placed Dundee drawing the Friday night fixture at Arbroath, Ryan said:-

“It is a missed opportunity to get three points on the board. It is another draw, but we just need to go again and look forward to these next two games starting with Hearts on Saturday.”

Draws are frustrating but merely underline what everyone agrees, the Championship a very competitive league. He continued:-

“Look at that game last night, Dundee have dropped points and when we played Arbroath a couple of weeks ago and they are a good team as well, and they got a point. There are no easy games in this league but we are not in a habit of losing games just now.”

The Ayr result came on the back of a similar 0-0 scoreline away to Morton and these results at least suggest that the team is not allowing opponents too many chances.

“I think we had a few especially in the second half but we are just snatching at them. I had a chance, Declan and a couple more from setpieces. At least we are keeping clean sheets and we know that it will turn and we will turn these chances into goals.”

Having come off to find out results elsewhere, the players post match conclusion was that another big opportunity had been missed and there had been discussions about how things could improve:-

“We spoke about it after the game in the changing room. Things are maybe not falling and we are getting a little bit too anxious and snatching at chances. We should maybe be a little more composed because we have not scored in the last couple of weeks.

“The positives you can take. It was not a defeat but we need to get back to more free flowing football and take those chances.”

Ryan felt that the disappointment of late has been greater because of the powerful way Dunfermline started the season with three Betfred Cup wins without conceding a goal, followed by scoring ten goals in the first three league matches and going eleven matches without defeat.

“We were flying, we were scoring lots of goals. We were conceding a few and now we have gone the other way in the last couple of weeks and in the game against Arbroath, a few weeks before, there was a clean sheet there as well. We have been solid.

“Maybe due to the lack of games over that period when they were off, we just need to get our sharpness back but I’m sure that it will fall for us. If we go ahead in games, teams will come out a bit more and that will suit us when we can hit them on the break. We just need to get that one goal and it will turn.

“We know what we can do so that is why we are disappointed. We know that with the quality that we have got, we feel that it is a missed opportunity in the last couple of weeks.

“We have had far too many draws, if we could turn a couple of them into wins, then other points turn into good results. We are just not getting that break at the moment but it will turn.”

Ryan hopes that turn can come in the couple of big games coming up - Hearts and then the Rovers derby - games that players and fans alike relish:-

“Going to Tynecastle and a big derby is different without fans but these are the games that you look forward to. You want to play in them and you know that they will be exciting games.

“We just need to work hard this week and hopefully it will turn for us on the goals front. If we keep our solid shape we will be alright.”