Dargo is no defeatist

"We were shocking, no one played to their potential and we deserved what we got.

Craig Dargo feels that Dunfermline saved their worst performance of the season for the penultimate match at Alloa. The very disappointing result in the first leg of the First Division Play off leaves Jim Jefferies young side a mountain to climb in their attempts to beat the drop to the third tier of Scottish football.

"We were shocking, no one played to their potential and we deserved what we got. It was too easy for them to get in behind and they punished us.

"I don't know if you can put it down to inexperience. In the first half we dominated possession without really doing anything. We were in control of the game then there was a shot that should have been dealt with and another breakaway - we got punished twice."

Dunfermline did not show the same drive in the second half and that earned the whole squad a dressing down after the game:-

"We got a real kick up the arse and we needed that from the Manager. We have a big game now on Sunday but we did it last week so it is a big ask again this week.

"We know ourselves that it wasn't good enough. Was it the occasion, was it inexperience? At least we have Sunday to make up for it because that would have been difficult to take if that had been your last game of the season. We have to go and put it right and everybody knows it."

Alloa won the Scottish Third Division title last season and only the Pars stand between them and successive promotions. For that reason their trip to East End Park could be history in the making for them but the game is is even more significant for the Fifers.  Craig continued:-

"It will be a massive game for the history of the Club. We are doing our damndest to try and keep the Club in the division. It has been tough and it is going to be tough but we know what is in front of us now. We played Alloa on Wednesday night and in the second half they could have scored a few more."

At the age of 35 Craig is well aware that football is full of highs and lows and that for most there are more lows than highs. He claims it will be all about how they react to that now:-

"We reacted great last week and now we are going to do the same again. It is not beyond us to score three goals. Alloa scored three goals against us so I am sure that we can score three goals against Alloa on Sunday.

"We cannot go in to the game with a defeatists mentality or there is no point in us turning up. Everybody is now raring to go for Sunday. If you had asked us to play Alloa again immediately after the game on Wednesday night, then every single one of us would have been desperate to go out and redeem themselves for the first leg."