Managers post Raith Rovers

26/10/21: link to audio of both managers’ post match comments

After having a win denied his team due to losing an equaliser two minutes from time, Peter Grant said that he did not know to be angry, sad or frustrated:-

“They put so much into the game, there was a period in the game where I felt we had an opportunity to kill it off with two v one situations but just missed a path, or was just cut out. Their keeper has had a save and I know the referee has given a bye kick.

“Dom has shown a bit of magic to get the goal obviously and I felt comfortable even though Raith are a good side and I know that they can ask questions of you, but I felt that our good players were playing well, they were picking up a lot of the ball and getting into good areas of the pitch.

“Yet again we have lost a goal to things that you do every day about clearing your box. When the ball is at the edge of your box and you don’t get up and stay in your goal, there is no room for error. You have to go, close the ball and press the ball. We have to take a sore one for the team as they say. Those moments are the ones that cost you.

“I am really disappointed because I thought they put so much in, so much effort and I know that they are so desperate to win. You can see I am trying to get them forward and they are wanting to drop because it is late in the game. It is human nature to do that.

“It is the one thing that I speak about all the time - clear the box, it gives everyone an opportunity to get out to block the ball quicker and it makes it a bigger area that the keeper can see. We didn’t do that at a vital time and it cost us dearly.”

Is that tension due to the circumstances?

“Probably, I don’t know. I still think that I have good enough players that know that they have to go out and they will get hurt at moments like that. That is the thing that gets you three points, taking one on the chin, the face or the belly wherever. You have to have those guts to succeed.

“Football is not pretty all the time, you have to show the dirty side and that is why I am frustrated because I thought that they put so much in, they had worked so hard to get the three points, it was snatched away from them. I am going to take it down to our own fault because I just felt at that vital moment we didn’t do what we talk about every day.”

Do you think that was one of the better performances under your reign?

“I think the two wide players played exceptionally well, especially in the first half when we got into really good areas of the pitch. I thought that we should have fed them more in that period because they picked up fantastic areas to get the ball. We didn’t do that well enough.

“I felt that we went square or back when we should have played that one forward, we talk about that all the time. Those were moments to kill the game, we had three players if we had broken that line. We should have done that more often because I think you saw the way Dom (Thomas) and Ryan (Dow) started the game, they were getting into those positions and we were just missing that final pass.

“They are crucial because one goal (lead) is always dangerous, you are always in the game if you are one down. When you are in front you know that it is a dangerous position if you don’t concentrate, don’t make errors and have the guts to step up the pitch. We didn’t do that at a vital time and it cost us dearly.

“In the last three games I think that they have shown great guts and determination after the debacle at Queen of the South. That is great credit to them. I see that effort and commitment all the time but we have to put performances in that are going to win us games. You have got to hurt to win at times and it is just that moment tonight that has cost us.”

It was a moment of magic that fired the team ahead, he is capable of doing that as you well know?

“Absolutely, he is a match winner, he always has been. I think that he is a top top player. You are getting the things that we have asked him to do and he has worked really really hard to do that. I think that he will see that he is getting his rewards for doing that. He is working so hard for the team. He is leading it with his endeavour and his commitment never mind his talent on the ball.

“He knows what you need to do off the ball and he is doing that. If he does that I know that I have a match winner. He is more than capable of that, I’m delighted for him and he has shown great guts to keep going and keep going. He knows what I expect of him, he knows that he has to keep that standard up all the time as they all have to do.

“Football is not easy. You have to work really really hard at it. You have to be determined every single day, you have to practice every single day to be the best. You have to work hard every day, you have to sacrifice every day to be a top player and there is no doubt that he is a top player.”

You could sense tonight how desperate the fans were wanting you to win so shared disappointment with them?

“I was gutted and hoping that when we got the goal that we were going to send them home happy not with the disappointment that they got at the end of the game. I understand 100% when you have it in the palm of your hand. I know the way that they are feeling, I know the way that we are feeling, it is in equal measures so I am just gutted for them that we couldn’t get that first victory in a derby match which would have been fantastic for everyone.”

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