Capping off a good week

Paul McMullan`s fine week: a win, an international cap and a draw with the league leaders

There wasn`t much between the sides claimed Paul McMullan but he felt that Hibs scored a good goal to take an early lead.

"We knew if we kept playing that we would get our chance and it came through the penalty. We could have won it but I suppose we could have los because they had a couple of chances as well. A point was fair."

The best chance of a Pars winner came nine minutes from the end when a surging Paul McMullan run down the left set up Michael Moffat. Paul said that Hibs did well to keep it out.

"Moff caught it really sweet and was unlucky not to score."

The penalty decision that led to the goal that equalised the scores also came from a move that involved the 21 year old.

"Stevenson`s hands were in the air and that is maybe wha has attracted the linesman. Sometimes you don`t get them and sometimes you do. The linesman gave it, that`s what it looked like on the pitch and we will not complain about getting a penalty."

With Queen of the South defeating Dundee United 4-2 at Palmerston and the Pars only drawing the gap between the two has grown but that is not insurmountable as far as Paul is concerned:-

"We have a game in hand over Queen of the South and there are only three points in it. Hopefully we can keep piling up good results and catch them."

Paul agreed that a draw with the title holders elect was a good result but feels that confidence has been building up over the last few months. He continued:-

"We have been picking up really good results and it just showed again that we are a good team. If only we had started better then we could have been looking at the play offs. It`s all buts and maybes so we just want to push up as high as we can."

Paul made his debut for the Scotland Under 21s in midweek and he was pleased to have been recognised at international level. He is certain that playing with Dunfermline has helped him catch Scot Gemmill`s attentions:-

"It was something that I enjoyed and now back at Dunfermline I can get these call ups by doing well here. Dunfermline has been really good for me.

"I had a couple of loan spells last season that never really kicked off but when I came here after a slow start I have really got going and it has definitely help me push on."

The U21s were based at Dalmahoy and played the friendly against Estonia on Tuesday night at St Mirren`s Paisley 2021 Stadium. In a match where there were ten new caps Paul started and played for an hour before making way for others. The match finished goalless but Paul did get a good early chance. He described it:-

"It fell to me and I should probably should have taken a touch and hit it but just tried to catch it first time and just narrowly missed. It was a good experience, one I will learn from and hopefully push on."

Paul is the first player to be capped at Under 21 level while playing for Dunfermline since Rory Loy - who was also on loan, in his case from Rangers - was capped exactly eight years ago. In Rory`s case he came on as a sub against Albania.

The last Pars signed player to be capped at Under 21 level was Greg Ross who won his one and only cap against Germany in February 2007.

Paul has now his eye on the Euro 2019 qualifiers later this year which will see Scotland tackle the Netherlands, England, Latvia, Ukraine and Andorra for the right to reach the finals.

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