Managers post Dumbarton
Saturday, 29th Oct 201629/10/16: AJ - "You cannot afford to let teams back into the game when you go 2-1 ahead with nine minutes to go.
- - Allan Johnston post match comments
Allan Johnston felt that the 2-2 draw at Dumbarton reflected the team`s story of the season:-
"We worked so hard after losing a sloppy goal to get ourselves back in the game. It took two good goals. The first one was a good ball in from Jason Talbot and Nicky Clark made a good run in the box to get himself in to finish it off.
"The second one Joe Cardle was involved in and it was a great pass in behind for Nicky again. He followed it in for the second goal. We were well ahead and it is so disappointing when you lose a goal two minutes after we scored.
"It looked as though we were just going to clear the danger. We know that we have to do a lot better defensively. It was individual errors again, it is really frustrating when you do that.
"I thought we started the first half brightly, then Dumbarton came into the game towards the end of the first half. Second half I thought we totally dominated it and it looked as though there was only going to be one winner. It is frustrating to go away with just one point."
The manager was asked about the points differential between Dunfermline and the teams above them in the league table. In the match between the seventh and sixth teams, Morton came back from a goal down to beat Ayr United. Goals in 73 and 89 minutes ensured the three points for Jim Duffy`s side. Dunfermline in eighth now sit six points behind Ayr United. AJ responded:-
"There are a lot of points to be won and lost. You can see in the period coming up that we have a lot of important games but you have got to win games like this, especially when you go ahead. You cannot afford to let teams back into the game when you go 2-1 ahead with nine minutes to go.
"It was poor defending and hopefully we learn quickly from our mistakes because we cannot keep defending like that."
The boss agreed that Joe Cardle gave the team a spark when he came on as a substitute for the second half:-
"He has not really trained much. He has been out for a few weeks and only trained on Thursday for the first time. You can see the qualities that he has got, what he brings to the team, his energy and his forward passing and forward running. It is good to have him back."
Turning to the William Hill Scottish Cup the manager commented on the cup replay where Gretna 2008 lost 2-6 at home to Buckie Thistle.
"It will be a hard one, it always is when you play those teams. You can take nothing for granted and obviously if they score six goals it just shows you the quality that they have got. It will be a tough place to go but first and foremost we need to get the league sorted out."
- - Thoughts of Dumbarton manager Steven Aitken
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