From Killie to Ayia Napa

Potts ready to miss out on trip to Central Park

John Potter celebrated his 33rd birthday on Saturday with his 46th appearance for the Pars. Although he had warmed the subs bench, it was 25th August since he last started a match. But that was a situation John understood at the start of the season when asked to take on the dual role of Under 20s coach and back up central defender. His return to league duty is as a result of Callum Morris' sending off at Livingston on 8th December and John admitted that he found it an exhausting experience against Hamilton:-

"I was glad to get the game but I was tired. The longer it went on the better we got but we are disappointed not to get the win. The manager tried to sign Steven May for Dunfermline at the start of the season and he is a tricky player. It was a disappointing goal we lost to him but we had enough chances to go and win the game. It was end to end but I still think that we were the slightly better team."

Potts last goal in senior football was on 10th April while on loan to Queen of the South but that was his first in almost six years. On Saturday he got a chance from a poorly defended first half corner:-

"I had a chance but knocked it across the goal, I should have hit the target at least. Hamilton hadn't had a shot at goal until they took the lead, it was a good goal from their point of view - a fine cut back and a good finish from Stevie.

"After we got the goal back we were the better team. We had three or four chances, although they had a good chance at the start of the second half that we were lucky with. We pushed on and tried to get the win. There were chances for both teams and probably a draw would be a fair result but looking at it from our point of view we had enough chances to win it."

The next game is not until Boxing Day and the frustration felt in the dressing room after the match will have to brew over Christmas felt John:-

"You'd rather play every Saturday and even midweek at Christmas but with the break maybe Paul Gallacher will get a chance to return to fitness. It is Falkirk at home, there will be a good atmosphere and a great game."

There will be little rest for John as he prepares his Under 20s team for a league game at Rugby Park on Tuesday night. They have been going well recently and he hopes to keep that going and be back in the first team against Falkirk.  Assuming Callum Morris and Andy Dowie remain available John can look forward to taking his Under 20s for warm weather training in Cyprus.

The squad of 19 players supported by John Potter, Grant Petrie and Stephen Wright fly out on 9th January for two weeks. Training times are booked twice a day and the group will be based at a first class hotel near Ayia Napa and games are lined up against the under 21s from Red Star Belgrade and CSKA Moscow. The project is funded through the EC funded Leonardo da Vinci Project and will give the young Pars hopefuls a chance to remember what its like to train on grass..

"The fortnight will give them a new environment, closer together and doing intense work on the likes of formations, team shape and setpieces. Things that we can come back with. They are a good group and will work hard with a wee bit of fun thrown in."