Jim Jefferies Post Stenhousemuir

08/03/14: JJ - "There was only one team that deserved and wanted to win that match today and that was Dunfermline.

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MATCH PICTURES
Jim Jefferies felt that Stenhousemuir did not look as though they had come to Dunfermline in search of the three points:-

"Their centre forward was playing 20 yards into his own half. You say to yourself surely they have to start winning games to get into that fourth place, the play off place. All they did was try and get behind the ball and make it hard.

"We played really well today but we are guilty because we had three or four great chances to score, particularly in the first half when Skanks was right through and Shaun Byrne's header brought out a good save from the big yin (Chris Smith). It was a great chance to score. Shanks was through again but knocked it past the post when there was hesitation in their defence.

"The second half was much the same; they got their chances at the end when Dunfermline just went for it to try and win the match. There was only one team that wanted to win the match. I have seen games like that when you have had so much of the game and one opportunity near the end can be costly. We told defenders to be make sure that if it was a tight game to be on their toes. Page had a good block and so did Danny Grainger but that would have been a real mugging and a steal."

There was a penalty claim midway through the first half when Grainger was tumbled in the Stenhousemuir box, the Manager felt hard done by:-

""Danny said that it was a stonewaller. I think everybody was just waiting for the whistle to go but for some reason the referee didn't give it. We had more chances after that. The one for me that suggested that it wasn't going to be our day was in the second half when we had a great move up the left and Danny fizzed it - the perfect ball across the six yard box. We had two strikers and Andy Geggan in the box.

"It was right across the face of goal and I was just waiting on it to hit the back of the net. Danny (Grainger) hit the post as well. Their goal lived a charmed life; they fought hard, battled away, made it difficult and competed well. But there was only one team that deserved and wanted to win that match today and that was Dunfermline.

"It is very frustrating for the supporters to watch because they should appreciate how much effort these boys put in to try and win a football match. We did terrific to be patient and play the right balls; try to get in behind them but we just didn't get a break. It was the same last week at Stranraer when we created more chances.

"We are one of the highest scorers in Britain, we score a lot of goals but there is always going to be a spell when it doesn't go for you. I have seen times like that and just right now it is not going for us. At least we kept a clean sheet and with Stranraer getting beat we have gained an extra point. It has not been a bad result but anybody who was at the game will just wonder why Dunfermline did not win it. We have dominated the game but when the chances came along we just didn't take them and on other occasions we just didn't get the break."

Listen to this Jim Jefferies interview