Manager Post East Fife

22/03/14: JJ - "We didn't deserve anything at all from the game because our performance was probably the poorest this year

Listen to Jim Jefferies post East Fife comments

Jim Jefferies classed Dunfermline's performance against East Fife as the worst of the season:-

"I told the players that there is no point in hiding from it. You can defend them for the last three weeks because they have played well and worked hard. Today we were very fortunate that with the only decent move we had in the first half we scored. Too many thought that it was going to be easy, that we didn't need to compete. We played balls that were always difficult and played into their hands really."

The Manager felt that they were lucky to survive the mix up between Ryan Scully and Callum Morris.

"If anything I think we scored against the run of play. One or two things happened. We played a ball out that was a bad ball out that we played back in and it came back off the post. When we got the goal I thought that would settle us down and go on to win it.

"They got a roasting at half time but in the second half they never changed. We changed the system three times in the game but it doesn't matter who you bring on or what system you change, every system will change if you have players who go out there and are not alert. You can have all the ability in the world and if you look at the two teams, Dunfermline has got better players than East Fife but that doesn't mean that you will win a football game. You have to go out and earn the right to win a football game.

"I thought East Fife thoroughly deserved to win it because they wanted it more. They got beat 5-0 last week, they wanted to make up for that and we told the players that. It would not be a foregone conclusion, they would get a lift coming here, they had two or three ex Dunfermline players in their ranks - all the makings they need to lift their game. What you have to do is not just get a goal up on them but a quick one after that, then you knock the heart out of them a wee bit.

"At 1-0 they will always have a chance. They were 1-0 down here the last time - in a game that we played much better than we did today and they stole it from us. Today they did not steal it, they deserved it and our team didn't deserve to win anything today. Given that I had probably at least seven passengers playing in the team today. They know because I named them after the game.

"It just wasn't good enough and if you do not have a heart and a will to win a football match you will not win very many. It is most unlike them because good bad or indifferent they have always had a will, a determination and a drive but that was sadly lacking today.

"They got a roasting at half time because we were fortunate to be 1-0 up. You had to get them woken up. It is just not good enough. I have seen games where if you do not buck up your ideas in the second half you will lose it. That is what happened, they didn't buck up their ideas, they didn't do something about it."

Dunfermline came close to a second goal and had an attempt headed off the line:-

"Gary Naysmith was saying that just now. Liam Buchanan headed one looked net bound. They got a break because I think there was a suspicion of offside at their winning goal but for me Scully dropped it and allowed that situation to develop. You will get breaks going against you if you play as badly as that. It is as simple as that. They had not had any breaks but they got one if it was offside. They deserved it because they worked hard for it.

"They didn't sit back like Stenhousemuir did a couple of weeks ago and soak it up. They went in at half time knowing that they were unlucky to be 1-0 down, we scored against the run of play, Dunfermline's not playing like they normally play so we came here and beat a better side 2-1 the last time we came here so let's get out there.

"I told that all to the players. 'Unless you go out there and buck up your ideas, I have seen it many times, I have seen it happen to you, your complacency and your lack of competitiveness might cost you again'. It turned out that way, they were well warned."

Asked about a good chance to go ahead JJ added:-

"That was at 1-1 and if that had happened at 1-1 I don't think that they would have come back from that. I said before the game started that this is just not about getting a goal in front today, this is about getting a goal and getting one as quickly after it because that will deflate them. 1-0 will not, they have come back from 1-0 down before here. Get the second one and then it is a tough ask for them. Then they will have to start taking chances, getting forward and the gaps will open.

"Before you can do all that you have to have a desire and a will to compete but I thought we were outfought which is most unlike us. It is probably the first time this season that anybody has got the better of us and deserved it. They wanted it more than us, they are fighting for their lives down there - they have just got beaten 5-0 and I know if I'd been beaten like that I would be going into the next game saying 'that was embarrassing last week we are going out to do something about it'.

"They have come to a place where they weren't expected to win and gone away deservedly with the three points. Credit to them and our boys got a bit of a roasting not just at half time but at full time to let them be aware of the standards that we have set this year and just how badly we let ourselves down."

Looking ahead to next Saturday when Brechin City JJ suggested that his team might be the ones smarting and wanting to get out and perform:-

"We need to get out there and show that if we do not perform then we are not guaranteed to beat anybody. You have got to make things happen. We have done that a lot this year, we have made a lot of things happen even at times when we have not been at our best. We showed that will drive and determination, that is why the supporters have stuck behind us but we never gave the supporters anything to get behind.

"Apart from one run from Williamson in the second half when he got into the box fantastically well to pick out Geggan. It was typical of our day and a shame for Andy Geggan because he was the one player in the middle of the park that got pass marks today. The two centre halves for me didn't do too much wrong but they were getting far too overworked because the rest weren't doing anything to stop the balls coming back at them fairly quickly. Thats because for me the rest were passengers today.

"Excluding Lewis Spence who has come on to get us to push a midfield player into the hole but the rest I'm afraid were sloppy in their play, gave the ball away and playing passes that weren't on. It was just a nightmare.

"Then to cap it all we gave away the penalty. Where was Liam Buchanan going? He was facing the stand and we stick out a leg in the box, it was a penalty for me. He had the ball, just stand behind him, where is he going to go, let him beat you.

"It was a bad day but we didn't deserve anything at all from the game because our performance was probably the poorest this year, we will soon see how we bounce back next week."