Captain Committed

Greg Shields:- "If I miss the final so be it, as long as the club get to the final that's the most important thing."

Greg Shields is looking forward to tomorrow night's Scottish Cup Semi Final replay, he feels the team that he will be leading out at the National Stadium for the second time in nine days, has hit form at the right time. The performances in the cup competition appear to have spread to the SPL given their three wins in the last four league games, Greg thinks his team still have a real chance of making the final, and the UEFA Cup place that comes as a consequence of Celtic's title clinching win at Kilmarnock:-

"The Cup has kept a lot of people going this season but the league is far more important than the Cup. It was a great day last weekend; I thought we were very unlucky because we created three great chances against Hibs. Second half Hibs had the better of the game.

"Hibs pass the ball about well, they have great players who can change games in Scott Brown and Beuzelin, boys like that but we have got to take confidence from the last three games. We have played Hibs twice and not conceded a goal, and then played Dundee United who were the form team and not conceded a goal. We created a lot of chances against United, we have got to take a lot out of that game."

Greg is one of five Dunfermline players who could play Hibs at Hampden with the threat of another yellow card putting them out of the final if Dunfermline were to win. Darren Young, Phil McGuire, Gary Mason and Jim O'Brien also have one previous yellow card flagged against their names. However, the Pars skipper will not let the thought of cards affect his game, it didn't last time either:-

"I gave Sproule a wee kick so I got a yellow card. It is fortunate for Scott Wilson, he is missing the replay. These things happen you know that but I am not going to go in less committed than I would. If I miss the final so be it as long as the club get to the final that's the most important thing."

With Scott Wilson suspended for the replay, it is likely that McGuire and Bamba will be in the centre of defence leaving Greg to continue in his new, yet very familiar right back slot:-

"I am enjoying playing right back again. It has taken two or three games, no maybe ten or twelve games to get used to playing right back again. I played a part in the goal and that is what I am there for."

On Saturday Shieldsie's strong and swift break up the right wing created the crucial opening for the Pars. He talked it through, confident that he is still capable of causing alarm for opponents:-

"It was a flash back to ten years ago, what I used to do. That is what I am there for and it is what Managers want me to do, try and get forward a lot more. Stephen Kenny pointed out at half time that he was delighted that I got there and he remembered that was what he was told I used to do.

 "I was just lucky, it was a good ball and a great finish by Tam McManus. Before it Jim O'Brien went forward with the ball and he lost it. I was screaming for it to get played in behind just before Kalvenes ended up having a shot at goal and it broke back to Jim O'Brien. I was just sitting on the half way line and had to turn and sprint. He hit a great ball up the line and I just hit it first time I think and into the path of Tam McManus. That is what strikers want, Jim McIntyre is always going on about it - you must deliver from wide areas. Thankfully today it worked for us."

Tam McManus's goal was the only goal in the game and there was a fear that two simple chances that were not taken by Jim McIntyre and Stephen Glass might cost the Fifers two points had United got the equaliser they sought:-

"You always think that. Scott Wilson and me are probably the world's worst for getting on to players when they miss chances. That has been a big part of our season; missed chances and sloppy defending whereas now we are taking the odd chance and getting the odd clean sheet here and there which is pleasing and pleasing for the Manager too.

"It was always going to be like that. We had a chance where Adam Hammill was clean through and he cut it back to Jim McIntyre. Stephen Glass had a chance before that and if we get a second goal it kills teams off.

"We held out well and I don't think United had a clear cut opportunity; maybe Kalvenes in the first half, that was it. But it shows how quickly it can turn. They might have been one up and we go right back up the park and take our chance. A couple of months ago that wasn't happening for us whereas now it is happening - that is two wins on the trot, three wins out of four.

"It is great to be part of. Me and Scott Wilson saw what was going on a couple of months ago when we were nine points adrift when we signed. All the boys get on and it feels like you are going from week to week now and up for every game."

Everyone at East End Park is confused by the continual interruption of Scottish Cup ties. Hibs are the next opponents but somehow no one can forget that St Mirren is all that really matters. Greg knows that the meeting at Love Street on the last Monday of the month is going to be a cup final no matter what happens against Hibs:-

"It is nice but nothing is done yet, we are still one point behind St Mirren who have a game in hand. They would be hoping Dunfermline lost on Saturday and it is in our favour we won. It is up to us now. We have to go to St Mirren and get a result. We have put ourselves in a good position now, we have only gained three points on St Mirren for now. We have got the momentum and I am not saying we are going to catch St Mirren but St Mirren are the team to be caught. We are playing well just now and it definitely sets it up for next week.

"We have been hyped up since the Inverness game. Everybody writes you off but you go up there and get a result 3-1 is a great result especially coming back from a goal down at half time. Even the Old Firm can't go up there and get a result, it is a very difficult place to go. We had a slip up against Motherwell a couple of weeks after that but we have the momentum now, St Mirren are ahead of us and it up to us to go there and get a result."