Managers post Inverness CT

22/01/22: link to audio of both managers post match comments

Dunfermline manager John Hughes felt that his side should have taken three points from a game he was sure they could have won given the chances created in the second half:-

“We had numerous chances and I felt that we should have had another penalty in the second half. The second one was more evident to me than the first one. I am a bit disappointed in that but that is the kind of luck that is going against us. Our second half performance was very very good, we were always on the front foot, playing the game in their half, taking the game to them and showing real character spirit. We created a numerous amount of chances and on another day they might have fallen for us.

“We will always have a go, we owe it to the supporters to have a go. We were quite passive in the first half, it has been like that and I know where we are, we are quite passive and we never implemented the things that we have been working on, that was disappointing.

“Football is never easy, you have to earn the right and we earned the right in the second half. That is when we are at our best so no matter what we will always have a go. I am proud and happy with them for our second half appearance. I think they showed a spirit and a character and that’s us unbeaten in two! It is a start but we just need to keep building on it.

What did you say to them at half time?

“Do what we are doing on the training pitch, implement it or we are wasting our time. We need to be brave, we need to make it happen, we need to stretch the game, we were squeezing the game up too much and there was no room to play. You could see in the second half that our centre halves were getting on to it and stretching the game.

“We were playing through the lines and the substitutes came on and that enhanced us a little, there were fresh legs and on another day we might have just sneaked it. O’Hara had a wee chance right at the end. That is the penalty one that I was on about but the referee played on and the goalie actually saved in with his feet. Another half yard to him and it would have been in the back of the net because he wouldn’t have been able to adjust.

“I said to them at half time that we owe it to each other for all the hard work that we are doing, and the fans will be happy with from what they saw in that second half.

“Now as I say, if we can do that for 90 minutes we will be alright. That’s my job, I need that for 90 minutes. Make it happen right from the start and we need to do that from now until the end of the season. There is good spirit and good character amongst them, I am delighted for them.”

Steven Lawless was confident to step up to take the penalty?

“We were on about it the other day when I saw him practicing. You see him practising his corners and his setpieces. He has been a fantastic signing and you can see his work ethic - wanting to give it the best that he has got. That rubs off on the rest of them.

“I am really pleased for them, we were brave with our substitutions and they worked for us while on another day they maybe don’t work. They gave us a fresh impetus in the game so I’m delighted for every one of them.”

Coll Donaldson (pictured above) almost won it for you with a header near the end?

“I have worked with Coll and I know his character, we need to keep on top of Coll and he needs to become the leader, a leader of men and do it in the right way. His performances in the last two games show that he wants to be that leader, he was heading everything and he is a good passer of the football. I am really delighted for Coll.”

You said that you might have one or two players signed for today but that obviously didn’t happen?

“No, let’s just keep talking about the game. That all starts next week hopefully.

“I am delighted that we are off the bottom of the league. We are under no illusions, there is a long long way to go but what we are seeing is that we are trying to galvanise them, trying to create a real spirit.

“It is our job to entertain the supporters, if I had been a supporter in the second half I would have been entertained and I would have been clapping my team off for the effort and commitment they gave. It needs to be like that right from the start of the game.”

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