Stephen Kenny Post Celtic

"OK Mason was booked that was more of a technical foul for pulling the man down as he was getting away - that wasn`t a rash tackle. There wasn`t a bad tackle in the game, there was nobody hurt........

Gordon Strachan complained post match (see below) that he would have liked more protection for his players; Stephen Kenny responded:-

"I am very surprised if that is the case. I think there was only one iffy tackle each, the one from Scott Morrison and one from Lee Naylor. That was it in the match. The only player hat we had booked was Stephen Simmons and that was for an altercation with Aiden McGeady.

"I wouldn`t agree with that assessment. It was an early tackle from Scott Morrison who is just back in the team after injury - he is keen, I do not think it was premeditated. It was a bit of an old fashioned lunge. There was an equally iffy tackle on Adam Hammill on the far side that just about balances it out."

Strachan`s description of Dunfermline tackles as being like from the 1980s shocked Kenny:-

"There were some great players back then, Platini, Butrageno and Michel - they played in the 80s and they were great players. No I just can`t see hat at all. I`d say there was one tackle on Nakamura.

"OK Mason was booked that was more of a technical foul for pulling the man down as he was getting away - that wasn`t a rash tackle. There wasn`t a bad tackle in the game, there was nobody hurt. One tackle either side, I could concur with that view if he did say that.

"I am surprised and if that was he case I would defend my layers but there is nothing to defend. If it was the case where you had four or five players booked and one sent off and you had to defend your players but this is nothing to defend. There was only one rash tackle on either side.

"Everyone is entitled to their view; I am entitled to mine and I have an equal view - I am the Manager of Dunfermline which is a Premier Division team and I would say that our discipline over the last four or five weeks has improved considerably. We have hardly had a yellow card over the last four or five weeks apart from the Simmons `smoking` incident last week.

"We have worked hard to improve our discipline, there have been no bookings for dissent. That is it and I would strongly stand behind that."

On the match action the Manager had reflected:-

"I have seen Celtic quite a good bit since I have been here but I felt today that there was an edge about them from the start. They are at their best in my view, not that i want to tell Gordon Strachan, with Nakamura on one flank and McGeady on the other, they are very very threatening especially with the pace of Beattie and Mller upfront.

"They did stretch us and it was a great ball from Telfer from one side of the pitch to the other to get McGeady in but it was poor from our point of view. The ball has travelled a long distance and we maybe should have anticipated that. We should have cut it out.

"It is a bit of a shocker to go down one nil after a couple of minutes when you have prepared well. We weathered a bit of a storm but came back into it in the last 20 minutes of the first half. We played some good passages of play without creating clear cut chances.

"They played and we dug in. If we are going to get a result coming away here to Parkhead we are gong to have to contain and get something on the counterattack. While it was still 1-0 we always had a chance as you saw with the Hammill goal; it was a terrific individual strike. He has been threatening to do that for a while, he has been a very good signing for us but Celtic missed several chances."

Asked about Jamie McCunnie`s role Stephen said that he likes Jamie as a player:-

"He hasn`t had a great time since he came to Dunfermline. The move has probably not gone as well for him as he did with Dundee United. He is still only 23. The thinking was that he gets in front of the back four and he keeps the ball. When you come here you need to be able to retain possession. That is easier said than done because Celtic were playing at a tempo that made our midfield struggle in the first half.

"Darren (Young) has played in a few positions for us but he has been out injured for five weeks. I played him at right back because Greg Shields is out injured and we had a bit of a problem at left back for a we while and he did really really well for us in that position even though he is right footed. It is no problem for him to play right back and he did well."

In reply to suggestion that Dunfermline had written off any chance of taking points from Celtic Park, the Manager replied:-

"We always have to think that we have a chance otherwise there is no point in being involved. You can`t be too realistic when you are in this business, you have to allow yourself to dream sometimes and think that you can pull off results and endeavour to do so.

"Celtic played very well today, they were very good and we contained well for some periods. We had to try and get a goal on the counterattack, which we did. The second goal wasn`t the best of goals to concede - a corner kick, a bit of a sloppy one."

St Mirren lost at home to Kilmarnock so the differential between the teams remains nine points:-

"There is no point in looking at other results we need to do it ourselves. That is a bit of a lift for us because we can`t afford to get too far away from us. The fact that we are playing at home next week and with the games to follow that we have got we can still believe, although people might believe that we are isolated, that we have a chance to get out of this but we are going to need to fight for each other to do so."

Gordon Strachan was satisfied by what he got from his team on Saturday:-

"There was some great football in the first 25 minutes; it was the best football that we have played here for a while. I put out a team that I thought was mobile, could get about the pitch, move the ball quickly and move themselves quickly. It could have been any score in the first 25 minutes. So really pleased with that.

"The whole game they were in control, their energy was good, their bravery on the goal was good. It had to be because we took a few heavy tackles. I thought their self discipline was absolutely fantastic.

"It was like going back to the 80s; some of these tackles there and decisions. We do tell the players who play the game that you have to get tackled. They got tackled and we told them to get up and get on with it and keep disciplined - don`t retaliate.

"But they do need protection themselves. I think the tackle on Nakamura at the touchline in the early seconds - that was going back to the 80s where you get the first one free when you intimidate somebody. That was like way back when Neale Cooper kicked Charlie Nicholas up in the air after three seconds at Pittodrie. The game kicked off and didn`t even get out of the centre circle, it was like going back to that.

"If that tackle had been in the 70th minute and the game was tight then he is off. So Nakamura was brilliant, picking himself up, playing with a broken hand and getting that kind of stick.

"Our discipline kept us there. We could easily have gone down to ten men by losing your discipline and reacting to bad tackles.

"If I am saying to the lads `don`t fain injuries, get up and get on with it` we must then get protection. We are doing that and helping referees out. If Nakamura had went down and rolled about and made big song and dance it would be trouble. If we are saying to players to get up and get on with it because it is part of your job I do believe that skilful players will get kicks - that`s if it is fair and honest. Some of them were not honest and fair today and they have every right then to get protection from the referee."

Match Report: 03/03/07 Celtic 2 Dunfermline 1

Third Hall of Fame 03/03/07