Manager Post Albion Rovers
Saturday, 3rd Oct 201503/10/15: AJ - "When you look at the games we have lost this season, we played miles better than that but that is the first clean sheet at home believe it or not."
- - Listen to these Allan Johnston comments
Allan Johnston was happy to accept the three points from the 3-0 victory over Albion Rovers but was quite clear that his team had played better in games this season and not taken three points.
"Obviously the first half was a bit of a test. We probably never played as well as we could have but it just shows you the quality that we have got when Joe (Cardle) pops up with a great bit of skill and gets us into a first half lead.
"You always need that second goal but we were always going to win the game. We looked quite comfortable. The first goal is really important and getting the first one makes a big difference.
"We scored really good goals. The second you could maybe say that the keeper should have done better but overall I thought we were the better team. All credit to the players because when you look at our starting eleven we had three boys who haven't even done pre season but because of injuries they are getting thrown in. Marc McAusland, Shaun Rooney and Rhys McCabe.
"Then we have Michael Paton and Jason Talbot who only trained on Thursday. They have been missing for a couple of weeks. David Hopkirk who came on, only trained on Tuesday for the first time in a couple of weeks. It is credit to the players to put a performance in like that when they have not done a lot of training over the last couple of weeks."
The result leaves Dunfermline one point behind league leaders Ayr United after the first quarter of the season and going into the international break. The Manager unsurprisingly would rather have been in the lead:-
"I would rather be sitting first but we have the best defensive record, best attacking record, we just need to make sure that we are first.
"When you look at the games we have lost this season, we played miles better than that but that is the first clean sheet at home believe it or not. We have managed to do it away from home so it was important that we got a clean sheet at home. Hopefully now it will be the first of many."
The Pars manager is pleased with the first quarter of the season despite his highlights being the League Cup ties against the two teams from Dundee.
"The Dundee United game going to extra time took a lot out of the players but they have done brilliantly and we just need to make sure that we continue the good performances and ensure that at the end of the season we finish in first place."
Albion Rovers manager Darren Young said that he was proud of his players and proud of the performance:-
"I do not think that they had a shot on target until they scored the goal with just two minutes until half time. In the first half I thought that we were the slightly better team. That said they took their chance and scored. It was a great strike from Cardle.
"We spoke about it at half time and started the second half the way we did the first; really positive. They got a free kick in the middle of the park that wasn't handball, the guy took the free kick ten years away from where it should have been and the goalie makes a mistake.
"Again we tried to get into the game and had a couple of wee half chances and then we got punished."
The Albion Rovers player manager felt that there had been worse challenges during the game than the one that he was sent off in the first minute of added time:-
"The first one was definitely a booking, the boy Bakhtaoui got away and I took him it. That was fair enough but the second one I was in front of the boy, Rhys McCabe. He probably went over the leg more that I have actually caught him. For whatever reason the referee was sprinting over to me.
"At 3-0 down with two or three minutes to go, there was nothing in the tackle but obviously he decided that it was going to be a red."
Darren then went to the enclosure for the final minute but was instructed to go to the changing room probably because that is normally where red carded players go but managers are normally sent to the stand.
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