Manager post Ross County

13/02/10: JM - " It is two points dropped there is no other way to put it. You have to be honest and say that we threw the game away."

After losing a two goal lead Manager Jim McIntyre was angry at conceding the 54th minute goal that led Ross County back into the game.

"We had a man positioned on the edge of the box, but he just switched off and Lawson drilled it home. That was really disappointing because the next goal was crucial, absolutely crucial, especially after dominating the match in the first half. A couple of missed chances came back to haunt us."

Macca felt that the Pars first 45 minutes was possibly the best they had played all season.

"We have played a lot of good stuff this year and got a lot of plaudits but in terms of total domination, that was up there with the best."

Commenting on the observation that against Ross County it had been yet another very entertaining draw, the Pars Manager said:-

"Ross County are a good side as well, we had the boys well warned because we knew that they would get a roasting. They changed it by making a double substitution but we didn't handle it. I felt we lost the domination in the middle of the park and we started just kicking it instead of passing the ball. That takes a bit of bravery when you are under pressure. It is at times like that when you have to pull your two wide men in as well and just get a base but we never did that.

"It definitely feels like a defeat, we are absolutely gutted. The players were well warned that Ross County would change it and come at us but we didn't handle it too well. A bit of credit goes to Ross County for changing the system and having a go at us but we have got to deal with it better.

Dunfermline were denied by the brilliance of Ross County keeper Michael McGovern whose double save in the second half from Alex Burke and then Joe Cardle gave the home side the ability to snatch a point with a late goal. The Manager added:-

"If it went 3-1 the game was over. I couldn't see them coming back from that, but what a save from the first one and then to get back up and save from Joe (Cardle). It was a tight angle for Joe and he had to meet it on the bounce, so it was a fantastic double save.

"Obviously we had a one on one with the goalkeeper and we had one across the face of the goals. If I am going to be more critical we need to be more critical in front of goal.

"For the second goal it was a stupid free kick to give away in the first place for the ball to get played back in. There has been a stramash of bodies and a bouncing ball and the opponent has reacted first, which was poor on our part again."

The Manager was asked about Graeme Holmes' red card in dying minutes of the match but could only report that the Dunfermline player felt that Scott Morrison had run into him.

"Scott has made a meal of it but I personally didn't see it happen. I would need to see it on the video but he is saying that he has not touched him."

Without Andy Kirk, Nick Phinn had provided the goals that made Dunfermline look well on top at half time, his Manager praised the two goals from his midfielder:-

"Nick is a good player; you know that he will be a goal threat and will be in and about the box. I felt that we should have been pulling the trigger more in the first half and we were maybe playing one pass too many."

Derek Adams described Dunfermline as one of the best sides that his team have played this season but that was little consolation to Jim McIntyre

"Our Achilles heel is that we keep giving away too many cheap goals, that is something we show on the video every week, we talk about it, we work on it and work on setplays. Defensively at times we are naive but we strived to improve every week. If we can keep playing the football we shall we where it takes us."

At full time only one point was heading back over the Kessock Bridge and down the A9 to Fife. Jim McIntyre reflected on what the consequences of that would be.

"I think you have got to be realistic and I said to the boys before we came up here that we need to start beating the teams above us because we are running out of games. That is not trying to be a pessimist, that is a realist. That is what we spoke about and we know that we need to win our games in hand as well. That's Ross County still nine points ahead of us but nothing is insurmountable and we will keep battling away. If we can keep playing the way we played in the first half and be a wee bit more ruthless in front of goal, we will be alright."

Macca would not deny however that the trip to Dingwall had been a gutting experience:-

"For me it was a game we had to win up here today. It was crucial that we won the game. It is two points dropped there is no other way to put it. You have to be honest and say that we threw the game away."

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