Results suggest team is getting there
Sunday, 30th Jan 2022“The gaffer came in not long ago, he is bringing new players in, bringing in a new philosophy and a new style of play. It is something that needs to be built on and it takes time.
Captain Graham Dorrans returned to lead Dunfermline to victory on Saturday in one of the most important matches of the season so far. The 2-0 win lifted the Pars, who only two weeks ago sat bottom of the league, into joint seventh. The win came despite all the challenges caused by travel problems on the M74 and the ravages of Storm Malik. He was happy to talk after the game:-
“We knew coming down here that is was going to be a tough game. The weather doesn’t help but the weather has not been great all around the country all day. In the first half I thought that we dealt with that well and with the wind behind us managed to go in 2-0 up at half time.
Graham’s 14th Dunfermline start was his first since Boxing Day. Covid caused him to have to isolate for a total of 17 days. With no lingering effects he returned to the bench on 15th January at the Hamilton match and came on as a 61st minute sub against Inverness Caley Thistle last week. He enlarged on his route back:-
“It was disappointing because you lose a bit of fitness when you are in the house and you just try to keep ticking over. Since coming back in it has taken me a bit of time just to get back up to speed. If I can get games in and more training I can get back up to full fitness.
“When I first came back in I thought that I was a little bit behind. After being in for two weeks I feel like I’m getting back up to speed. I am feeling good now and hopefully I can build on it.”
In scoring his first Dunfermline goal and setting another up, it was a good afternoon for the 34 year old who can draw on his vast experience after playing in England with West Bromwich Albion and Norwich City, as well as in Scotland with Livingston, Rangers and Dundee:-
“It is good to get three points here, nice to get a goal but we knew how important this game was going to be. It is a team that was round about us in the league and we knew that we needed to win the game and create that gap.”
The gap is now four points to Queen of the South and three to Morton with both those teams having played one game less. Graham was deployed in a more advanced role that John Hughes had identified as a possibility. Graham said that he had a couple of conversations since coming back about playing in there:-
“I’m happy to go in there and do a job if I can help the team. The way we play boys like to get on the ball and get into pockets. If I can help out with that then great.”
Certainly the results have improved with two wins and two draws in the last five games. Graham continued:-
“It is not just today, we have been building up a momentum in the last couple of games - the draw against Inverness and the Hamilton game as well. That is three games now undefeated, we are hoping we can continue that momentum into the rest of the season.
“The gaffer came in not long ago, he is bringing new players in, bringing in a new philosophy and a new style of play. It is something that needs to be built on and it takes time. Hopefully we are getting there now with the last few results.”
Graham Dorrans also spoke to Jordan Burt for ParsTV
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