Games are won and lost on mistakes

Alex Keddie - "The fans have been magnificent all season, it got too much on Saturday and I don't blame them but we do need their help."

Defender Alex Keddie had sympathy for Chris Smith who faced a wretched Christmas after the 25 year old goalkeeper assisted St Johnstone to another away win:-

"Chris is a fantastic goalkeeper. Games are won and lost on mistakes and unfortunately Chris is the one who made mistakes today. He is a great goalkeeper to play in front of, he comes for things, he is a good shot stopper and a great kicker of the ball but he was the unlucky one today.

"He is upset.  Nobody likes to be in the position of costing us goals. We have all been there really throughout our careers and this season, so we know how he feels. You can't give somebody stick for that."

Alex explained how Chris was disappointed after failing to impress on the first occasion where he was able to challenge Paul Gallacher's position as first choice keeper.

"Gall has been doing great this season and Wally (Chris Smith) has been waiting for his chance; it came today but unfortunately for the first goal he didn't do too well but for the rest of the game I thought he was magnificent. He had a great save from Carl Finnigan who was offside but he didn't know that at the time. There was a good stop from big Haber but unfortunately they scored from the rebound. He had a good game apart from the first goal."

It was others in previous games, this time it was Chris Smith but nobody knows why these individual mistakes happen. Alex quipped:-

"If I knew why I would be a wealthy person. I don't know and can't answer that one at all."

The central defender said that the team were well aware of the fans reaction, booing them off the park but he felt that they were quite right, it is their club.

"They pay their money to watch the game and if they are not happy that is how they are going to react. When we are doing well they react in the opposite way but we need their help just as much as anything else. We are all in it together, there's only one way out of it and that's by helping each other. The fans have been magnificent all season, it got too much on Saturday and I don't blame them but we do need their help."

Subscribers to the Dunfermline Media Centre can hear an interview with Alex Keddie, which is available now, along with a repeat of the live audio commentary of the game.