Manager Post Kilmarnock
Saturday, 18th Dec 2021Link to audio of John Hughes post match comments
- - Listen to this John Hughes Interview
The Dunfermline boss John Hughes had no quibble with referee Craig Napier’s decision to abandon the match after 63 minutes, describing the decision as ‘spot on’. He told the media:-
“I did ask him if it had to be visible goal to goal but he explained that the fans had to see the game, it is a spectator sport so he got the right decision.
“He gave it time to try and make it work but we all knew that this was not going to lift once it came down. It is a little frustrating after putting all the work in and the preparation for the game but I was delighted with my team’s performance.
“To show character again to come back from one down. We played some right good stuff and I felt that we were the better team in the first half. I felt that we were let down once again with the officials for the penalty (decision), it is happening too much.
“I asked him about it, I don’t think that he was in a great position to give it. I think maybe because there was a handball and they were all shouting for it and it maybe triggered something in there, but that was never a penalty kick.
“You feel for your boys because they have been giving me everything since I came to the club. We are getting better as the days and the weeks go by and we are digging in there. We showed great character to come back.”
Not a bad finish either from Craig Wighton for the 20th minute equaliser?
“We have been playing a lot of practice matches, friendly matches because I want to see everyone. We have been assessing it and Wiggy has just been keeping his head down and getting on there. So I am absolutely delighted for him. You can see from his touches and his passing that he is a quality footballer and it was a fantastic finish.”
You must have been pleased with the response and some of the passing?
‘It is getting slick and that is coming from the training pitch. When we do it we are good, when we don’t do it we’re not so good. In terms of effort and commitment it is never in doubt. We just need to control the game a little bit more and control the opponents when we have not got it. There were one or two too many crosses coming into our box, we need to stop that. We need to be a little bit more compact in our shape.
“The way we went about our business was fantastic. I was really really pleased for them. As I say we played some really good stuff and I felt that we were the better team. Anything that Kilmarnock got, obviously the penalty and I think Connolly slipped for one, once again like Queen of the South last week it was of our own doing.
“We need to cut that out and keep doing what we are doing. We have to keep pushing them, keep setting standards, keep demanding of them and don’t give them a minute off. That is what you have to do to win football matches.”
What happened that Kai Kennedy was on the bench?
“Kai has not been well for the last four days, that’s just our luck. We have not got any wingers to tell you the truth and we have Dom Thomas injured. Kai was sick for four days. He came into training yesterday but didn’t look too great and could only do fifteen minutes work so we said we’d see how he was in the morning and we will assess it from there.
“He came in this morning and he felt a little bit better and we asked if he could sit on the bench and give us twenty minutes. All credit to him he said “yup” but then we had to come up with something of a shape. Dow and Todd went a played in those wide areas. As I have said over the last couple of weeks ‘square pegs in round holes’ but they seem to just get on with it and just get on with it. I have a right headache for next week.”
Kilmarnock manager Tommy Wright did not speak to the media.
John Hughes also spoke to Jordan Burt for Pars TV
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