Alex Keddie Post Inverness
Monday, 24th Oct 2011" I was the one who got the custard pie. Football is like that but you have got to take the opportunities when they come.
After being left out of the squad to play Hearts the previous Saturday, Alex Keddie was pleased to be back in the starting line up at Inverness. He explained how he had taken responsibility for some of the defensive lapses in games where Dunfermline had leaked several goals:-
"Against Hearts the Manager just went with a different formation and I was the one who got the custard pie. Football is like that but you have got to take the opportunities when they come. I was unfortunately involved with a lot of the goals that were scored against us in the last two or three games so I took it on the chin and came back today. I thought I did enough to show the Manager that I am good enough to play at this level and in the team."
The 30 year old defender returned to make his 44th appearance for Dunfermline at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium but had to settle for a point despite the aim being to return back down the A9 with a win:-
"We came here looking for three points but only got one. By the way we played and by the amount of chances we created, I think we deserved three points."
It certainly wasn't in the script to allow that old adversary Gregory Tade to score with a diving header after Dunfermline had pressed so hard themselves for that all important first goal.
"We went behind in an unfortunate way especially when we were going all out to win the game. I am obviously disappointed but a point away from home especially up here where it is a hard place to come is good."
Alex was part of a back three in a side where the system appeared to work better for the team. Inverness's chances were restricted while Dunfermline had several chances to score from and classed themselves extremely unlucky:-
"It gives you options - very attacking when you have the ball and very solid when you you don't have the ball. We have the players when we have possession to go and hurt. We try and defend solidly and then get the guys on the ball who are attack minded.
Having lost 19 goals in their previous six games, restricting Inverness to just one was a success and the performance itself will boost the Pars defence ahead of important games against Dundee United and Hibs.
"Defenders take pride in clean sheets and take confidence from that but we shipped eight goals in two games when we didn't turn up. In the other games granted we conceded goals but we played some good stuff. We still showed that we can play at this level and proved today that we can pick up points away from home.
"We went through a bad patch after starting the season well. Every team goes through a period in the season where they are not scoring or they are conceding a lot of goals but hopefully that's ours finished."
The draw was important in so far as it kept Dunfermline above Inverness and Alex said that's all you are trying to do by the end of the season:-
"Staying in the league is the only target that we have set, if we better that fantastic but if not we will take it right now. We would like to consolidate in our first season and hopefully be able to kick on next season and do well. If that was the case then maybe the Manager would get a bigger budget to bring players in. We just need to stay off the bottom spot."
Buchanan to the rescue
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