Managers Post Raith

21/08/10: JM - "It is all about putting the ball away and defending properly. The two goals that we gave away were criminal defensively for us.

Jim McIntyre felt that Dunfermline were the better side in the first 45 minutes:-

"We had a couple of chances - Andy Kirk from the corner when the boy cleared it off the line and then when Nicky Phinn had a good run but he just seemed to stumble at the crucial moment. After a dull opening fifteen minutes with the extra man in midfield, we started to dominate possession and played a bit better.

"It is all about putting the ball away and defending properly. The two goals that we gave away were criminal defensively for us. Calum Woods at the back post, he had a great game up until the goal - the back four in general played very well up until then obviously losing a goal at the corner kick when Nicky Phinn's job at the front post was to cut the ball out but he didn't do it. He took a step forward and he wasn't in the right position. Those are the small details that can cost you games.

"You could visibly see the lift they got from that. They started winning a lot more second balls and we made a couple of changes to try and influence the game in as positive manner but that never worked. The subs never gave us enough."

The penalty save by Chris Smith could have provided a boost to Dunfermline but the reaction didn't really come:-

"Even so after the first goal, you have to show a lot more character than that. This is the same group of players that we had last year, they know what this league is about and how tough it is. They know about the stats that confirm that if you score the first goal, how hard it is to come back. If you want to hold any aspirations at all then you need to show character to get yourself back into the game."

Willie Gibson was limping around after the final whistle and Jim McIntyre said

"Willie took a dull one. The ball was there to be gone for but big Simmons mistimed it and caught him. It was a sore one and he did well to play on but he and Bell are both still short of match fitness. That is why I chose to go with an extra man in midfield today. I felt if we went 4-4-2 with two players who haven't played for a while is asking a bit too much. It was working fine in the first half but second half we went for it a bit more and the changes need to give us a good bit more."

With players returning from injury and suspension Macca said he would not use squad size as an excuse:-

"We had more choice this week than we have had in previous weeks when we have won the two games. The bottom line is that we didn't defend properly on two occasions and it has cost us."

The Pars Manager confirmed that an ankle injury kept David Graham out of the Fife Derby.  In last Saturday's game against Morton the player sustained an injury to the same ankle injured last year at Cappielow. David will now have to have a scan on his ankle.

Rovers manager John McGlynn was pleased to win the derby game 2-0:-

"Dunfermline were the better team in the first half, they controlled long spells of the first half. They passed the ball particularly well but we didn't get high enough up the park. Dunfermline took confidence from us giving the ball away in bad areas, allowing them to come at us and create one or two chances. We did a lot better in the second half and gradually got ourselves into the game.

"We got some pressure on them and thankfully we got the goal after Iain Davidson came on. He was aggressive and reacted to a ball in the box; there was no one else getting it bar him. It gave us a new lease of life, everyone's energy levels went up 10% because we had something to fight for. A bit more belief came about us and after that we deserved the victory.

"In the last 30 minutes Dunfermline didn't really cause us many problems. They had a shot that clipped the top of the bar but I was pleased with my defenders. The second goal came from a good delivery at a corner kick. Laurie got a touch on it; he is trying to claim it bit it came off a defender before the ball went over the line. Overall we were very solid and I am very pleased overall."

McGlynn suggested the result of the match was possibly worth more than three points:-:

"It was a very big day for us and I would expect us to take a lot of confidence from that but we have to make sure that we control that confidence and not get carried away with ourselves. It is a marker but we let ourselves down last season against Ayr United, Morton and Airdrie. We only took 13 points out of a possible 36 against these three games."