Ewan on target for big goal

Added time goal has added significance for 21 year old loanee

The only Dunfermline player to have played in Europe this season was delighted to achieve another milestone on Saturday by scoring his first ever goal in senior football. Back on 10th December in replacing Dutchman Jeremiah Frimpong Ewan Henderson was able to play over an hour for Celtic against French side, Lille in the Europa League.

Since Dunfermline signed Ewan on loan from the Hoops on 26th March, the 21 year old has made six appearances for the Pars and he told this website after Saturday’s match against Queen of the South that he was delighted to get off the mark when he scored Dunfermline’s third goal in their crucial home win:-

"It was obviously great to score my first senior goal, I am really happy. Every time that I have played it has been at the back of my head and I hope that there are many more to come.”

It was Ewan`s 27th appearance in senior football and even with half of them being as a substitute, he has always been desperate to score. After Queen of the South had pegged a goal back to make it 2-1, Ewan’s added time strike was a nerve settler. He described how he was indebted to Kevin O’Hara and Dom Thomas for their work up to his chance:-

"When Kevin got round the goalie I thought that he was going to shoot. He played it back to Dom and he has seen me. I took a touch and scored but I am thankful to both of them. Dom was outstanding today and so was Kevin.”

The young player’s celebration was a controlled one just thanking the two teammates who made it all possible:-

“If it wasn`t for those two I would not have got that chance. I am just grateful that they gave me the opportunity to get my first professional goal.

"Dom is an unbelievable player, you see it every day in training. I train alongside him, I play with him now and you can see that he is a top, top player who will go very high I think.”

Dom Thomas provided the shot that Queen of the South goalkeeper Rohan Ferguson parried and Kevin O’Hara pounced on to open the scoring. It was Dom who did all the hard work for Fraser Murray to score Dunfermline’s second and it was Dom who set up Ewan to score.

"I thought that he was excellent from the word go today and it wasn`t just on the creative side, he was also working had for the team. He was doing that shift for us and we were helping him so that when we get the ball we can give it to him so he can work his magic. Hopefully he can do the same in the next two games.

"When you see someone in that fine form you just want to give him the ball as quickly as possible and let him get at the full back which I thought he did very well. He created the three goals and he was the excellent today.”

Ewan displayed his flexibility in seamlessly assuming a different role when Declan McManus was forced to retire eleven minutes into the second half. He was unperturbed:-

"I am usually in midfield just I started off wide left today but I would say my best position is in midfield and when Dec went off with a sore shoulder I thought I did okay when I went in there as well."

A double substitution by Queen of the South on the hour when they introduced Stephen Dobbie and Aidan Fitzpatrick, on loan from Norwich City, gave the Doonhamers a lift. Ewan continued:-

"They pushed forward and got a goal but I thought we reacted very well to get ourselves ahead again. We just need to take three points in each of the next two games and hopefully push for the play offs.”

It was also Ewan’s first win in a Dunfermline shirt and he feels that the victory was an important confidence builder ahead of the final two matches at home to Arbroath and away to Alloa Athletic:-

"Everyone is buzzing, we just need to keep our heads down, work hard and if we perform like we did there we have a very good chance of winning the next two games.

"Arbroath and Alloa are good teams as well, we can`t go into these games expecting to win. We need to stay as a team, work hard and hopefully take the three points again.”

Despite some disappointing results, Ewan has been enjoying life at Dunfermline over the last three weeks:-

“Since I have come in everyone has been good with me. From the boys the same age as me to the ones with lots of playing experience like Whitts, Deccy, and Muzza. They have all been excellent with me and helped me through the games. The younger boys who have been playing have been helping me as well, it has been a very good experience for myself. We are a tight group with a great team spirit."

His first goal will live in Ewan’s memory for a long time but he claimed that playing in the Europa League at 20 years of age was also a very special moment:-

"I played against Lille, that was an experience that I will treasure, great experience playing against top opposition like that. I feel that has helped me since I came here. When I go back to Celtic that is what I want to do, experience playing in Europe and helping them. Until then I am at Dunfermline and I am fully focused on them for now."

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