Assistant Manager Post Partick

21/01/23: link to audio of Dave MacKay’s post match comments

Assistant manager Dave Mackay gave his thoughts after the cup elimination on penalties at Firhill:-

“Obviously when it goes to penalties it can go either way. We are disappointed for the players but the overall performance I thought throughout the 120 minutes was outstanding in terms of some of the play, fitness levels and application. We cannot asked for much more, on another day it goes for you. It is a disappointment to go out but we gave loads of pride in the players.

“We definitely had the better clear cut chances. Sneddon had a great save, to be fair to him, from Craig Wighton in the second half and then Chris Hamilton had a great chance at the back post. So in terms of better chances and more chances I thought that we definitely shaded that it was just disappointing not to turn one of them into another goal. We can’t fault the players too much.”

Do you feel that is a bit of a missed opportunity?

“It is, it does feel like that. I thought we were the better team. They had spells as well - at the start of the second half pretty well. It was a pretty open game at times but I felt overall tha5 we were the better team and we played some better stuff. We had the better chances but again it is all about taking those chances and making sure that you go through in the cup competitions.

“We are just disappointed but so proud of the boys in their effort, attitude, everything on a really difficult pitch. We cannot ask much more than go to penalties.

‘We practised them but you can never replicate what you are going to face. I have hit penalties plenty of times and it doesn’t matter how many times you practise it in training you can never replicate what you are going to face on a Saturday. Credit to the boys for taking them, they missed a couple but that’s the way it goes in penalty shoot outs.”

Despite the result do you feel that it was a really good performance against a team in a higher league?

“Exactly, they are a team that is going well in the Championship. They had a sticky patch for a couple of months but at the beginning of the season they were flying and had hit a run of form again just now. They are near the top of the Championship looking to get into the Premierleague but we have just proven there that we are at that sort of level.

“We have to prove that week after week, make sure that we keep doing our stuff in the league and hope that we can get there by turning in performances like that.”

Craig Wighton had to be substituted, is he okay?

“Craig is just tired. He has played a lot of football recently and as I say the pitch was pretty heavy. It was energy sapping so it was more just fatigue than anything.”

Just a quick question on Sam Fisher (pictured above) going back to Dundee. I’m sure that is not what you wanted?

“We are really disappointed. Sam has been outstanding for us, he is a great boy as well and the players are disappointed to lose him. These things happen, sometimes you take loan players in and if they do so well for you there is always the danger that they are going to get recalled by their parent club.

“Who knows, we might get him back at some point. It is not dead in the water, we would love to get him back. If not we just have to get on without him. Whether we replace him or go with what we have got then if we bring someone in, they have to be better than what we have got at the minute. We will see what is available.”

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