Not enough despite Gall's personal best

"I have two years left, I love the club, the fans have been great to me and I enjoy playing here.

Paul Gallacher admitted that the 2008-09 season was a tough one for both players and fans alike. Talking exclusively to the website at the DAFC Open Day on Sunday, Paul said:-

"It is good now to get a bit of time to relax and reflect on what happened so that hopefully next season we can rectify all our mistakes. The ultimate aim is promotion and it would be fantastic if we could achieve that next year."

The outcome of the season just ended turned out to be miles away from that desired at the outset:-

"Just so many things went wrong, especially our home form. If we could rectify that by even ten per cent we would be up there challenging. Our away form was great, there were a few injuries but I think it was more that we missed key personnel, i.e. wingers. Maybe that distrupted the flow in the way we wanted to play the game. We had to adapt with different players so it was awkward but we are not going to complain about injuries. It was more that poor performances at home that was the key factor.

"It just didn't happen at East End Park. You are under pressure because you are expected to win these matches but we just didn't seem to rise to the occasion. I wouldn't say that we were outplayed many times, it was just poor finishing and a bit of belief that we lacked. Nobody came here and out battled us, that didn't happen at all.

"It is still disappointing not to win those matches but the away form kept us involved until the half way mark in the season. I think I had 14 shut outs which is a personal best for me. I am not really one for stats but somebody told me that a the start of the season so I remembered. To beat that obviously is nice but I'd rather put the challenge in for most of the season and got promotion. That was the ultimate aim but it wasn't to be."

Eight of Paul's 14 shut outs were in the First Division, three in the Co-operative Insurance Cup, two in the Homecoming Scottish Cup and one in the Alba Challenge Cup. It would be nice to see him better that in season 2009-10 since he is contracted to Dunfermline but even though he loves the Pars, the 29 year old with 8 international caps suggested that might be different if another club came in for him in the close season:-

"Unless something else happens, I will be here next season. The finances at the club and the way things have been dictated - they are looking at a lot of personnel and there are to be changes in the back room staff, so we will just have to monitor the situation. I have two years left, I love the club, the fans have been great to me and I enjoy playing here. If nothing else happens I will be there but if other clubs come in for me then I cannot stop that."

Reserve keeper Callum Reidford left at the end of the season leaving 19 year old Greg Paterson as number two to Paul. He quickly pointed out that he viewed it as the two of them battling for the number one shirt:-

"I never think that I am always playing; whoever does the job plays. That's my philosophy, I never treat myself as automatic first choice. Callum came in and it is a shame that he has moved on but Greg is a great young goalkeeper with a good pair of hands."

No one is better placed to assess the qualities of the young keeper who has come through the Dunfermline youth system:-

"He has played some reserve matches after recovering from a bad back injury and meant he couldn't get out on loan to get match practice. That maybe hampered him slightly but I see him in training and the Manager has kept faith in him and put him on the bench. We know what he is capable of and he is definitely one for the future. I think he is a fantastic young goalkeeper with all the attributes, it is just the case of getting games and confidence to play first team football.

"You hear about credit crunch and cut backs; clubs throughout the country are having to cut back, I believe that we are no different so we shall see what happens over the summer. The Manager's hands are obviously tied in respect to who he can bring in, let's hope he can be thrifty in the market and get good players in to add to the quality that we already have at the Club."