Keeper's points priority
Saturday, 27th Feb 2016Sean Murdoch: "It doesn't matter if we win 6-5 or 1-0 as long as we get those three points that is the most important thing for me."
Goalkeeper Sean Murdoch is keen to achieve more shut outs. The keeper went six successive games earlier this season without conceding but has now just two clean sheets from the last nine games. He said:-
"Defensively we have been pretty solid all season. We have not shipped too many goals and the fans who have come to watch the games will have noticed that we are solid at the back. Brad McKay came in and has done fine. He has played at a higher level, he is a good defender and has slotted in nicely."
Of the back four that started the season against Brechin City only Ben Richards-Everton returned last Saturday. Ryan Williamson and Callum Fordyce suffered leg breaks and Lewis Martin has been out since before Christmas with a virus. Marc McAusland has come and gone but Craig Reid and Jason Talbot now look comfortable with McKay and Richards-Everton paired up in the centre.
"We have had two bad injuries to two big players for us but the guys who have come in are quality players and have shown that they are more than capable of going to do the job. It has been tough and has only been me and Ben who have consistently played in that back five.
"The management always strive for clean sheets and I always strive for clean sheets as well. It is always builds a good basis for the guys up top do score a lot of goals. There have not been many times when we have not scored in games. W know if we can keep a clean sheet there is a very good chance that we will win the game."
So far Sean has achieved 13 clean sheets and he is conscious that he can record a good tally for the season:-
"If I can keep 50% clean sheets in the next eleven games I would be happy with that."
Looking back on the match at Brechin last week, Sean acknowledged that he had a few important saves to make but claimed that Dunfermline should have scored five or six:-
"If we don't take our chances we are always vulnerable. We ended up dominating the game but in the end we ended up just hanging on. It was a weird game but at the end of the day we got the three points and that is all that matters at this stage of the season."
Looking over the shoulder at second placed Peterhead is something that is not unique to the Pars keeper who noted:-
"The form Peterhead have been in has been incredible. They must be the most form team in Scotland, it shows how good a side we are that despite the run Peterhead have been on we are still eight points clear of them with a game in hand.
"We have to take great credit from that. Hopefully they are due a bad patch but all credit to them they are a good side. We have struggled against them and not beaten them this season. In my opinion the are a good side of good players so we just hope that we can see the season out."
As the season approaches March it enters its most important period, Sean is only concerned about recording win after win starting against Stranraer on Saturday:-
"It doesn't matter if we win 6-5 or 1-0 as long as we get those three points that is the most important thing for me."
Views : 4,643
