Keeper nets the trophies

Ryan Scully has been showered with awards as his season long loan from Partick Thistle came to an end.

The twenty two year old keeper cleaned up at the Centenary Club Lifeline's Player of the Year Awards. Speaking exclusively to this website, Ryan said that it is a huge honour to win the awards.

"The Players' Player of the Year is the big one because obviously it is recognition from the boys that you train with every day and play with every week."

Ryan explained that it was nice for the players to put football aside for a night and enjoy themselves. Awards collected on the night were from the Centenary Club Lifeline, Dunfermline Athletic Supporters Club and the Gary Riddell Trophy for the Players Player. These added to his haul from the previous week from the Young Pars and the Elizabethan Supporters Club.

The recognition for Ryan was earned throughout the season. Up until the visit of Morton at the end of October, Ryan had achieved eight shut outs including four in a row and had not conceded a home league goal. After that however it was his saves keeping his team in many a match that made him everybody's choice as Player of the Year.

Morton scored two late goals to destroy Ryan's record and he admits that things just did not go Dunfermline's way from there on in.

"It has been hugely disappointing and as players we need to take responsibility for that. There is no hiding away from that; when things are going good we expect the praise but when things are going bad we have to take that on.

"It is not nice, we would rather be getting the praise of the fans than hearing boos at the end of the game. They are entitled to their opinion and it has simply not been good enough this season.

"It is good if we can keep the fans on our side and to be fair we have been getting great attendances for League One. We need that again next year and if we can stick together with the group of players we have got and maybe one or two additions to the squad, I have absolutely no doubt that we can get promoted next season.

"We are hurting just as much as the fans. The gaffer, John Potter and Neil McCann are hugely disappointed. John Potter knows Dunfermline inside and out and we were all delighted when he got the job. We thought he was the right man for it and we feel that we have let down the gaffer big time. I am glad that he has kept a role for next year, I am sure he will have a big influence on next year and hopefully he can be part of the team that gets promoted next season.

"He only really came into the coaching side last year and then he was put into the manager's job at a club that is a huge club. He needed to be given time and I am gutted that he never kept his job for next year. I am sure that with his own team and his own pre season that he would have done well. He is part of the squad next year, I am delighted about that and I would have hated if he wasn't involved at all next year."

Next season is uncertain for Ryan, he honestly doesn't know but needs to have a chat with his club, Partick Thistle to see if he can be part of their plans.

"The main thing for me is to keep playing games at this stage of my career. I don't want to go back to sitting on a bench somewhere, I really want to be pushing and playing number one. I have worked hard to be an established number one and I want to continue that.

"I have played in every game this season (well, if we forget the last two), I have Dunfermline to thank. It has been a great club for me, the fans, the matches that I have played in, the management, staff, players - everything has been excellent for me.

"The club surprised me when I arrived - the training facilities, everything. It is a massive club but you don't see that from the outside. Once you are involved you realise that it is a great club. The Rangers games and the Cowdenbeath game last year showed you that once the team gets up higher the fans will support you.

"At Partick Thistle you lose fans who go and support Celtic and Rangers but at Dunfermline it is one community and everyone is a Dunfermline supporter but once we get the results right on the pitch, they will flock in and East End Park can be rocking again."

Asked to recall which game stood out most from this season at Dunfermline, Ryan went for the Forfar match at home:- "It ended up 0-0 and I made a lot of saves."

Ryan was appreciative of the players who have played in front of him. Callum Morris and Andy Geggan came first to his mind and Ryan Thomson got a mention. He continued:-

"The whole team have been excellent for me. I probably focus more on the defensive side because they help me. I cannot pick out any one player, it has probably been one of those squads where it has been a team effort. There were no cliques here and there, just one unit."

A back spasm incurred in the warm up in the second last match of the season meant that 18 year old Jamie Wilson deputised for Ryan in the final games against Forfar Athletic and Airdrieonians.

"I thought he did really well. Obviously it wasn't ideal for him being flung in the deep end. Sometimes that can be a good thing but at 3-0 down at half time he could easily have gone into his shell, he made a great save at Airdrie at the start of the game. His kicking was brilliant, he came out for a cross and took it excellently. He has a huge career ahead of him.

"I would have to say that about the rest of the goalies. It is one of the best group of boys that I have worked with - Ryan Goodfellow, Cammy Gill and Jamie Wilson, they have all got the ability to go to the top. It has been a privilege to work with those hard working boys."

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