Steven Bell's Cup focus

"I was happy with the way we played but we can all play better than that. We are all still trying to find our full fitness and the speed of play.

Steven Bell reflected on the Alba Cup win that gives him a chance of competitive play during the second week in August. Speaking after the match he said:-

"I was happy with the way we played but we can all play better than that.  We are all still trying to find our full fitness and the speed of play.   That is the same for Arbroath too.  They were stuffy today and played a 4-5-1 that was hard to break down so we did well to get the victory. "

Fate of the draw means Arbroath return on Saturday 31st July in the First Round of the Co-operative Insurance Cup. 

"We play them again next week so it will be the same again next week probably. It is just the case of going out and getting the job done, we should be beating teams that are in the Third Division."

Arbroath held the Pars until midway through the second half:-

"During the half time break we were told to go out and up the tempo.  I think we came out and did that.  We missed a couple of chances and thankfully Kirkie put us 1-0 up and we held on.  They missed a good chance to be fair; Paul Sheerin wasn't far away it was a good effort from him.  It just breezed past the post.

"We should have scored more goals and been more ruthless. We are just coming out of pre season and we have not really scored many goals in pre season; we have not scored two in the one match but at this stage we are just looking to get through the cup games and then doing well going into the start of the league season."

Given the fixtures Jim McIntyre will be disappointed that Steven will miss the beginning of the league campaign:-

"Me and big Alex Keddie are suspended for the first two league games.  The gaffer told me I was suspended as I walked out at the end of last season so I was scunnered with that. Hopefully the boys are going to do the business."

Dunfermline's win over Arbroath in the Alba Cup means that there is now a chance of Steven playing between the two matches that he is suspended for versus Falkirk away and the home game against Allan Moore's Morton:-

"I can play that cup game but I do not want to go two weeks without a game.  That's a no no."

24/07/10: Match Report Dunfermline 1 Arbroath 0