Managers Post Hamilton

12/03/22: link to audio of both managers post match comments

Dunfermline manager John Hughes claimed that the 2-2 draw away to felt like a defeat:-

“It is another one where we felt that we did enough to get the three points. We got off to a great start with big Coll’s goal - it was absolutely different class. Their equaliser? I don’t think I need to say anything else, you have all seen it. Write what you think, I don’t have to say. That was really disappointing.

“What I will say is that when the boys are giving me everything, they are battling, their livelihoods are at stake, everything is at stake and you get a decision like that. It is not acceptable and I really feel for the boys.

“We got in at half time and had to re-group and go again. I felt the first twenty five minutes of the second half was probably when we were at our best. We were right on the front foot. Having said that remember Lawless hit the woodwork in the first half as well and we could have gone 2-0.

“We got a penalty and I am honest enough to say that I thought it was a soft penalty. We got denied a penalty in the first half that I thought was a stonewaller and he booked him (Josh Edwards), so it was incident packed. Then to lose the goal we lost from a setpiece - it wasn’t as if it was a powerful header, somebody has to go and deal with that and go and head it. Everybody has their job to do.

“If we want to win football matches, which we are desperate to do, we need to keep scoring goals and we need to keep the back door shut. In terms of effort and commitment, being about it you wouldn’t think that’s where my team is where they are in the league. That is all credit to them.

“I am really pleased with them. We have to keep trusting each other and keep believing in them and keep going.”

It was a sore one to take with the decisions going against you, do you take any comfort from the fact that you gained a point on Queen of the South?

“There is always comfort and positives. I am not talking about the referee, I am talking about the referee’s decisions. Every referee you would never question his integrity in any shape or form. You are talking about his decision making, it is really disappointing.

“My boys are fighting for their lives, you need to be spot on. Anybody can see Moyo is right up there. There would not another goal in world football given like that. So it is really disappointing.

“Referees are only human and they make mistakes, we made a mistake for the second goal. It is part and parcel of football, we just need to accept it, dust ourselves down and go again.”

Do you feel for your player (Josh Edwards) being yellow carded before the break?

“It was a penalty kick, he clipped him, everybody could see it. When I asked the linesman who gave the decision, he said that it was the referee. So that’s another one that is really baffling. It has happened to us too many times this season.

“It happened to us here the last time at Hamilton when the referee gave Hamilton a penalty. They scored from the penalty, we lost the three points and it was never a hand ball. It hit Graham Dorrans shoulder and it got rescinded. Too late - the referees need to be spot on but I’d rather talk about my team and the spirit and the character they showed. It is a difficult place to come and we gave as good as we got.”

Liam Polworth stepped in for Graham Dorrans today?

“Poly is a player that i have worked with and I think you saw his quality. He has a goal in him, he is a good footballer and in terms of his fitness levels you can see that he has really looked after himself and kept himself fit. He has not played a lot of football (recently) so it will do him a world of good getting these 90 minutes into him.

“The only thing that I’d add is the ones who are not getting a game - you can see them hurting and it is trying to keep their heads up. No one is bigger than the club and if they have a part to play in terms of kicking one off the line or scoring a goal that takes us where we want to go then they have played their part.

“Graham Dorrans has just tweaked his calf a little. Hopefully he will be ready to go on Friday.”

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