Dec and Pars need to move on

“We should have done a bit better, we just never had that cutting edge. In this league it often comes down to the team that scores the first goal.

Dunfermline did not play badly against Queen of the South on Saturday, they created enough chances to win the game but fell short when it came to taking their chances claimed Declan McManus. The previous Saturday’s win over Alloa Athletic was termed ‘winning ugly’ and this defeat was probably the polar opposite:-

“For ninety per cent of the game we were the better team but you don’t always win games being the better team. Queen of the South obviously had a game plan and looked to try and stifle us.”

The Pars striker felt the lack of success was all the more disappointing after recording 66% first half possession and 63% overall. After scoring three out of three this season from the penalty spot, naturally he was disappointed to miss the eleventh minute penalty at Palmerston:-

“In the first half especially we played good football, created chances and I have missed the penalty. If I had stepped up and scored that it probably would have been a different game. Queen of the South would have had to come out a bit. Once they got the goal ahead they were able to sit in and they did that well.”

Declan dismissed the suggestion of there being additional pressure due to facing and scoring against Queen of the South goalkeeper Rohan Ferguson at East End Park earlier in the season.

“Not really, every penalty is the same for me. I went up and tried to put it quite high, as I normally do, but I never connected well with it. On the Palmerston Park surface it is quite difficult to get your foot under the ball. I just never caught it well. It is my fault.”

After the match the Queens keeper revealed that his save was a result of a guess based on past form:-

“Declan McManus scored one against me in the first game. I felt that he might go the same way, so it was an educated guess.

“They were on top but I don’t think that I was too busy. Dunfermline are a good side, they keep the ball well but I thought we limited them to very few chances. It was a good three points for us.”

One of the better Pars chances came midway through the second half but the 23 year old keeper came out on top after being tested by a former team mate:-

“I used to play with Josh Edwards at Airdrie, he hit a shot through a few bodies but it was a comfortable enough save for me.”

Playing in just their second match together, Declan McManus and Craig Wighton showed signs of working well together and forming the partnership that management and fans are wishing for. Dec said:-

“I was creating things for Craig especially in the first half. It was me who played the ball into him for the penalty. These games are that tight, if that penalty had gone in I feel that we could have gone on to win the game. People miss penalties, I am going to probably miss more in my career. It is one of those things that I have to move on from and as a team we need to put it aside and move on to the derby on Friday.”

Queen of the South closed the gap on Dunfermline to just three points though the Dumfries side have played one more match. Declan is now keen to move on to the next fixture which sees Dunfermline return to Starks Park to face Raith Rovers who move into second place as a consequence of the Pars defeat on Saturday:-

“We played well until they scored and then we fell into the trap of trying to force it too much. We had a lot of the ball, we played well and created two or three, more than half chances. We should have done a bit better, we just never had that cutting edge. In this league it often comes down to the team that scores the first goal.

“Every game is big, every derby is big regardless of league positions. Losing to Queen of the South is another slip up when we could maybe have gained points on other teams. We have to go out on Friday and try and put that right.

“We won the last derby but that won’t matter once the match kicks off on Friday. It will be another hard game that we need to find a way to win.”

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