Byrning Cup Ambition

"We have got to treat Elgin with the same respect as we would any other team ...

As captain of the Dunfermline U20s team Shaun Byrne knows what it is like to lead a team out at Hampden and as Dunfermline kick off their Scottish Cup campaign for 2013-14, he has also the advantage of being one of the few who has played at Elgin. That was for Hamish French's under 19s but he would take the same outcome and a place in the next round. Speaking exclusively to the website Shaun said:-

"We got a good win with Hamish and hopefully we can do the same on Saturday. We have to get past this game to have a chance of facing the bigger teams in the next round. We have got to treat Elgin with the same respect as we would any other team but we have to go up there and get the win.

"Obviously we want to play well, but it does not matter if we win ugly, it is about getting our name into the next round. They are doing well in their league, it will be a tough game going up there because they will want to get themselves into the next round as well."

Shaun felt that his last long trip only last Saturday secured the victory that he felt Dunfermline merited.

"In the first half I thought Stranraer played pretty well; they probably played the conditions a bit better than us. We were trying to get the ball down and pass it when it wasn't the type of game to get the ball down and play how we usually like to play. In the second half we showed the other side of our game; that we could dig deep and come back to win.

"We are all young but we need to grow up quicker than what we would if there had been experienced boys here. We are not really young boys any more, everybody is stepping up."

The 20 year old played in the first six matches of the Pars season before being left out of the starting eleven for three games. Since his return against Airdrieonians on 21st September he has begun every game and feels that he is worthy of his place:-

"I have been happy since I have come back into the team but I just have to keep it going because where I play in midfield it is the place with the most competition. If I am not playing well there is going to be somebody on the bench who is going to take my place."

In 33 appearances for Dunfermline Shaun has managed only one goal. That was against Arbroath in August but he would dearly like to make it the kind of habit he had when playing at under 19 level.

"I need to start shooting more. I am quite unselfish and probably pass too much. I'd like to score a few more goals and should have scored last Saturday. The ball got stuck under my foot a bit and I tried to get it on to my right foot and just poked at it.

"Neil McCann has taken me aside and told me to believe in myself more in front of goal and when I am going to hit a shot. If I miss then I will score the next one. He has encouraged me really well."

The Youth Cup final in May is one that Shaun described as a great pleasure but he would like to play on the winning side at Hampden.

"We had a really good team last year with the Under 20s so it was disappointing to lose but it was a great experience. That was the first time that everybody in our team had played there."

Hampden is the ambition then, well its Celtic Park this season because of the Commonwealth Games, and the long road there starts with the 320 mile round trip to Elgin.