Kyle believes quality will shine through
Friday, 8th Jul 2022“It has been one of my hardest pre seasons since I have been in football. I thought that it got easier but it doesn’t!
Dunfermline’s close season signing Kyle Benedictus is aware that the club has qualified from the group stage of the League Cup every year for the last five seasons and he is hoping to be part of the team that makes it six. Having completed a hard pre season’s training and come through the friendlies having conceded just one goal, the former Dundee and Raith Rovers centre back is ready for the competitive start against East Fife on Saturday:-
“Now we have the Premier Sports Cup to look forward to and we want to do well in it. Some teams take these games as pre season friendlies and maybe take their eye off it but we will be hoping to qualify. I think the club has done well in the last couple of seasons and we want to continue that as well.”
Kilmarnock were the only team to score against James McPake’s Dunfermline team and it came after the Trialist goalkeeper spilled the ball in front of Dan Armstrong and the former Par scooped the ball into the net. Kyle had every sympathy for the keeper who otherwise performed well:-
“When they got their goal, it was obviously a shame for the keeper making a mistake. He only came in on Monday but he made a couple of great saves as well. These things happen in games but I thought the boys responded well.
“It was a tough test. Kilmarnock are a couple of divisions above us and you can see the quality that they have got in their team. In terms of the game, I think the first twenty minutes we matched them with a lot of hard work and created a few chances.”
The 24th minute goal gave Killie the boost to have the better of the rest of the first half but Kyle thought the Pars battled well in the second half:-
“We had a few setpieces and a couple of chances but they had their chances, so all in all it was a good last test going into the League Cup campaign.”
Kilmarnock only got promoted last season but knowing how good their manager and assistant manager are Kyle predicted that he would not be surprised if they are in or around the top six next year:-
“They have a really good squad and they have come here and played some really good stuff. But I thought that we matched them for the majority of the game.
“That has come from the manager, it has come from Dave (Mackay). The hard work has made it a really really tough pre season. It has been one of my hardest since I have been in football. I thought that it got easier but it doesn’t!
“That is what he has drilled into the boys and if we can outwork most teams that we are going to be up against in this league then that takes you half way there. The quality that we have got will shine through so we just need to keep training every day as hard as possible.”
In the end it was only the one goal that separated the teams on Tuesday night and Kyle stressed the importance of not conceding:-
“It is a good foundation to start with, keep as many clean sheets as possible and everyone can see with the attacking players that we have got that we are going to cause teams problems in this league. I am more than confident in that, as long as we can keep the back door shut we have every chance of taking three points from every game.”
Probably the great responsibility for keeping that ‘back door’ shut will be down to Kyle and his new partner in central defence, Rhys Breen:-
“I never knew him until I came here. He is 22, young, a big boy and he has been different class when I have been playing with him. I will try and help him in any shape or form. Obviously it is a pity that he had to go off but I am hoping that it is not too bad because we have built a partnership in pre season.
“I don’t want to get too carried away but it is about building relationships all over the park, it is not just about me and Rhys. The front three are working hard together, the midfield are working hard together so it is about striking partnerships all through the team.”
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