Scott seeks to savour success

"There will be players going and players coming in, players in contract that will go as well.....

Scott Muirhead is already optimistic for next season and relishing the chance to play in the UEFA Cup.  He told the website:-

"I am really looking forward to it, it is another step up for you. It will be hard because we will not know the teams that go through to the qualifying round but the Manager will have them scouted. I was close to playing in Europe with Aberdeen. Hibs beat them on goal difference and we were fourth but they made it this year as well."

The Pars European adventure will be made all the harder as they try to hold on to players who got them there but might not be around when First Division football comes to Dunfermline in August. Scott observed:-

"There will be players going and players coming in, players in contract that will go as well - you never know what is going to happen until the season kicks off to see what you have as a squad."

Promotion and the financial boost that comes with SPL football is the goal for 2007-08 but Scott is already wary of overconfidence:-

"Everybody is saying that it is going to be a cake walk for us but you have to look at the First Division - there are teams like St Johnstone, Partick Thistle, Hamilton and Dundee. They have all got good players; seasoned pros and some good young players coming through. It won't be as easy as all that.

"Better the chance if we can keep the nucleus of our squad; the Manager will have to make some additions and have to let some players go as well."

Scott was quick to echo his team mates confidence in their Manager's decisions:-

"He showed what he can do. A couple of months ago we were dead and buried nine points adrift at the bottom of the league. We got it back to one, then to four and back to one. It was just a hurdle too far in the end but it just shows you what he can do. He has had much the same bunch of players except he brought in Jim O'Brien, Adam (Hammill) and wee Tam (McManus) as well but he knows the players he wants to bring in and it is good for us. We know that we are capable of winning games and playing good football."

Scott Muirhead started only five matches for the Pars up until the change of management at the end of November. Since then he has been selected to start virtually every game under Stephen Kenny with the exception of a period of injury in January and February. Clearly the Manager rates him and Scott replied modestly:-

"I get on really well with him, his ideas and training are really good. He knows what he wants to do with the team and well focussed himself."

The Cup final reverse was an unusual experience for the Manager who had such a successful cup record in Ireland. Now that the disappointment has subsided a little, Scott reflected on the Tennent's Scottish Cup final. He felt that the experience was "unbelievable" and had been well warned by the likes of Stevie Crawford who was appearing in his third Scottish Cup final in four years, to savour every minute.

"The older boys were telling me to really take it all in because you never know when you will be back. I enjoyed all the atmosphere, the build up to the game, the bus going under the stadium. Obviously we had been there for the semi final but there weren't the fans sitting on the hill.

"At five to three walking out the tunnel, the two teams lined up and the crowd was amazing. Our boys were just standing there, taking it all in. The Celtic boys have been there and done it before; they are in a final every year."

This was the point that players can freeze but Scott said there was no likelihood of that:-

"There wasn't really any fear, I didn't even feel nervous, just excitement."

Manager Stephen Kenny told Scott on the Thursday before the final that although he was very pleased with the way he had been playing on the left side of defence that he would be playing further forward at Hampden.

"I was just happy that I was playing. I hadn't played at left back all season until the semi final against Hibs. I do enjoy playing there and would like to play there next season and make the position my own.

"I looked at the clock at 80 minutes and actually said to myself, 'it wouldn't be a bad time to score a goal'. Then lo and behold Doumbe scored, it was just one of those things - a bit of luck that they got on the day. They had a couple of good chances with Kenny Miller's header, Vennegoor had a good chance with a header as well."