Graham Bayne Post Aberdeen
Friday, 20th Mar 2009"I knew where I was hitting it and knew if it hit the back of the net we were in the next round.
Graham Bayne scored against Clyde and Airdrie United in previous rounds so it was to be expected that he would hit the net against Aberdeen but few would have believed that it would be the clincher in a penalty shoot out. He described how it was just one fantastic feeling:-
"Personally it's my first semi final. It was definitely hard work anyway. There was a few of us out on our feet, me in particular but the boys dug in, stuck to our game plan and we're into the next round.
"We were practised penaltiesmyself, Stephen Glass and one or two other boys just five or ten minutes after training. I don't know if that's the reason why but it certainly helped towards it."
Graham missed Dunfermline's matches at Livingston and at home to Partrick after requiring stitches following the first clash against Aberdeen but was fit enough for the replay:-
"I've never had stitches before, that's quite surprising with the way I play. I bit my tongue in the first half and got four stitches at half time. In the second half I got an elbow in the eye and got four stitches in my eye when I came off. I got a bit of battering that day."
Falkirk are sitting bottom of the SPL at the moment and must be viewed as the perfect opponents in the Semi Final on Sunday 26th April:-
"Falkirk are always a team I thought were really good, they pass the ball well and knock it about nicely. They are struggling a bit this year but we know they have got real good players. We will have to be wary."
The shoot out was nerve racking on and off the park:-
"When we were standing on the half way line, Scott Thomson actually said that he fancied Gall to save two penalties, so it was some prediction from him. He knows him really well and knows what he is capable of."
And how did Graham feels as he made his way up to the penalty spot knowing that his success would take the Pars through to Hampden?
"I knew where I was hitting it and knew if it hit the back of the net we were in the next round. I don't know about pressure its never a great feeling but it definitely makes up for it when you see it hit the back of the net."
"We really for Greg Shields and it gave us that extra edge to dig that wee bit more and hopefully give him something to cheer and perk him up a wee bit. It was definitely for Shieldsy that one."
At the age of 29 Bayne is a bit of a Scottish Cup veteran having played for Dundee, Raith Rovers, Arbroath, Ross County and Inverness Caley Thistle in the country's oldest competition. He would love to go all the way in one of Dunfermline's famous cup runs.
He scored an 18th minute goal at the Caley Thistle Stadium in February 2007, his side were within two minutes of recording another cup upset:-
"I think in the quarter final against Celtic when we were 1-0 up at Inverness with a minute to go and we ended up losing 2-1, Steven Pressley and Kenny Miller scoring. That's the worst experience of my footballing career so far."
Maybe this season a winner's medal could make it his best ever experience of his career!
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