Lewis looking for milestone hattrick
Sunday, 10th Jul 2022“Once you get two, all you are thinking about is ‘can I get the match ball’. It is not a milestone that I have yet hit in my career and I want to get it soon enough.”
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After just one match Lewis McCann is half way to matching his goals tally from last season but he is optimistic that there are plenty more to come. Speaking after scoring both goals in the season’s opener against East Fife, the 21 year old Pars striker played down the personal significance of the day:-
“It is more about starting to gel together as a team under the new gaffer. Obviously it is a new thing, a new way that the gaffer wants to play. I am delighted from a personal point of view to get the two goals, more importantly three points and hopefully we can keep it going.”
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It took until the midpoint of the second half before the East Fife defence was penetrated. Lewis was pleased that he was the one to score and despite a frustrating first half he was always confident that the breakthrough would come:-
“They gave us a lot of the ball and it was almost like we didn’t know what to do with it. I’d say we needed to get a bit more fluent attacking wise but when we came out on the second half we were a different team, we got a lot more chances and the two goals.”
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The first Dunfermline goal came from a corner conceded as the East Fife keeper saved a Kevin O’Hara effort. The setpiece was headed back across goal by skipper Kyle Benedictus, Lewis continued:-
“It was one of those ones being in the right place at the right time to put your foot through it. Luckily the boy has moved out of the way and it has just gone in.”
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In the dressing room prior to the game, assistant Dave Mackay had made it clear Lewis would be the penalty taker if the situation transpired. With seven minutes remaining, Aaron Comrie burst into the penalty box and was fouled by Liam Newton. Referee Iain Sneddon awarded a spot kick and Lewis duly converted, despite keeper Allan Fleming going the right way. Lewis expanded:-
“In the dressing room beforehand Dave came up to me and said ‘McCann you are on penalties today’. You have just got to step up with confidence and make a good connection with the ball. Trust where you are going.”
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That’s twice now that Lewis has found himself in the position of ‘being on a hatttrick’. First time around against Ayr United in November last year he had half an hour between his 52nd minute second and being substituted by Kevin O’Hara but chances stopped coming his way. This time in the final seven of the game he experienced the same problem:-
“Once you get two, all you are thinking about is ‘can I get the match ball’. It is not a milestone that I have yet hit in my career and I want to get it soon enough.”
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Watch Lewis McCann interviewed for PARStv
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