Academy brings East End delight

James McPake - “If somebody is good enough to play then we will certainly play them.

The elation that this youthful team brought to James McPake on Tuesday night was clear from his beaming smile and his outpouring of praise. It wasn’t just the sight of a starting eleven including three sixteen year olds and a subs bench with a further two seventeen year olds that excited him however. Andrew Tod played for the best part of an hour and both Sam Young and Taylor Sutherland lasted the full 90 minutes, the application and ability that they demonstrated was what delighted their manager to witness.

James has frequently reminded everyone that bringing through young players to play first team football is something he has a proud history of doing and it is something that he is still really passionate about. He took pride in the way his latest promotions performed against a talent packed Celtic side which is coached by his good friend from his days at Dundee - Darren O’Dea.

Above: Sam Young in action against Celtic B

“Darren was working with the under 18s at Dundee. I know it’s going back over old ground but we managed to do really well and I think six or seven of those players still play in the first team at Dundee just now.

“In myself and Dave Mackay’s time there we gave them 112 appearances among six of the players over a period of two years. That might not sound a lot when you just weigh up 112 appearances but for young kids who are sixteen, seventeen and eighteen that’s a lot of football. They played in high pressure games and we want to do that here.

“It starts with the younger ones and then Greg Shields is the one that then turns them into being able to go out and do what they did on Tuesday night. Sam Young being able to handle playing in a first team game, Andrew Tod being able to handle it tactically. I have spoken about Chris Mochrie tactically against Falkirk and Andrew did that on the night.”

Above: Taylor Sutherland scored on starting debut v Celtic B

The biggest debut impact in Tuesday night’s SPFL Trust Trophy match was from Taylor Sutherland. He had previously warmed the first team bench on nine occasions this season but never before had he graced the field. Handed a start against Celtic B, Taylor found immediate success scoring his first senior goal after just 2 minutes and 11 seconds. James rightly was hugely impressed:-

“Taylor Sutherland is not even full time just now but he came in and showed great movement and that he can last the 90 minutes in a physically demanding game because Celtic B are super fit with the way they play. As I’ve said I speak to Darren O’Dea a lot and I know how hard they train. I have seen them training, they are a really fit team and for Taylor to manage to do that is great.

James was not alone in aiming praise at the young starts with Tuesday night’s captain Chris Hamilton adding:-

"I thought they were excellent, they`ve deserved their opportunity. I don`t think the manager just threw them in there because it was a game that he could do that. I think they`ve deserved their opportunity.

“They train well and they`ve been doing well in the reserve games. I thought they were excellent, all three of them stood up. Taylor took his goal really well, Sam defended really well the full 90 minutes. So I`m really pleased for them."

James McPake believes Dunfermline Athletic should be among to create the situation where they pride themselves on their academy:-

“If somebody is good enough to play then we will certainly play them. If anyone goes back and looks at what myself and Dave have done, if there has been a young boy ready to play, he has played - whether that’s been at Celtic Park, a play off final or in a pre season friendly.

“Those boys are starting to get on that journey, they are training with us every day and we are getting to a point where hopefully very soon they are ready. We also need to err on the side of caution and be patient with them because they are young and make mistakes.

“Mistakes hurt them a wee bit more than say a Kyle Benedictus because it takes them longer to get over it, that’s where we have got to support them. That is where Greg is great with them and the club is great with them. We have got to be patient but we believe in what we do.

“I believe in what Greg does and it has been great working with him along with them and I certainly believe in what Dave and myself do in terms of the younger kids. I think Chris Mochrie is a prime example of that, he is not down to us but we have brought him in and trusted him to go and play and he has been excellent. He is a fantastic young player. So it’s all very heartening.”

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