Murdoch aims to concede less
Thursday, 17th Sep 2015Sean Murdoch reflected on the disappointment of the first home defeat of the season against Ayr United last Saturday.
"We were confident after a good win against Forfar and I think most people probably expected us to win. Ayr are a good side, let's give them some credit. They set out to stop us playing and they did a good job of it.
"It is a long season and the main thing is to get back to winning ways on Saturday against Stenhousemur."
It will be the second successive away game on AstroTurf and the 29 year old Pars keeper made no secret of the fact that he prefers to play on grass.
"Really I don't think any game should be played on Astro. I understand why teams do it because financially it can be completely different for them, so I do get it but I think football should be played on grass.
"I have never played at Stenhousemuir's ground so I do not know what their Astro is like at all. Whether Astro or grass you still have to go there and do a job. We have to be up for it."
Stenhousemuir are unbeaten at home this season and Sean acknowledges that teams in League One can be hard to break down:-
"Most people have tagged us as favourites to go up so they know that they are in for a game when they play us, sometimes they up their game. Every game is tough, we can't win 4-1, 5-1, 6-1 every game. There are going to be tight games where we need to win even when we don't play well. If we don't concede then at least we are going to get a point. That is what we need to improve on."
After such a settled back four for the first five matches of the season, injury to a defender means yet another change in the defence in front of Sean. Jason Talbot has played a lot of games and is the most experienced but Allan Johnston is on the look out for central defenders.
He discussed:-
"I think that Callum's injury is a bigger loss that the three points. It is a massive loss to lose our captain. Callum is a big character in the changing room, he is a big player for us and everyone wished him well.
"So yes it will change again. I do not know what the manager will do. There are experienced trialists in but whoever comes in knows that they have a job to do alongside Ben (Richards-Everton). He is performing well but we need to make sure we do that every game."
With the serious injury to Fordyce coming before half time there was time for players thoughts to dwell on it even after the half time interval and for it to affect their play:-
"It is not nice when you know that someone has broken their ankle and their leg. At Forfar after a great win, the injury to Ryan Williamson made it feel like a defeat and quite rightly so. I have never been in a team that has had two broken legs in the space of a month.
"It is just one of those things, Callum will come back stronger. We are all behind him wishing him a speedy recovery and the same goes for Ryan Williamson."
Allan Smith left Dunfermline at the end of last season and the borderer joined Stenhousemuir. Sean did not know Allan but thoroughly expects the former Pars striker to be harbouring some grudges against Dunfemline:-
"Most people do if they play against their old club. It is a nice thing playing against your old club because you are wanting to do well and show why it did not work out for you. I am sure that he will have a few points to prove. We need to be up to our game, make sure he can't play and he won't get chances in front of goal.
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