Managers Post Raith

08/05/21: Link to audio of both managers post match comments

Dunfermline manager Stevie Crawford congratulated Raith Rovers on their play off win:-

“I wish them all the best in the rest of the play offs. On a personal note I’m sure that you can hear that I am disappointed but we didn’t do the clinical piece of putting the ball over the goalline. Whether that is credit to Jamie Macdonald or maybe just not having that ruthlessness over the two ties to give us the opportunity to win the game.

“I thought the players attitude, commitment and application was very good over the two games. I cannot fault that. As I say it just did not fall for us to find the back of the net over the two ties.”

Was that all that was missing?

“We came here and created opportunities on the day but if you don’t score goals you don’t win games. That is the harsh reality and that is what we will have to live with over the summer. You live and learn. That’s what I have just said to the players in there, we have encountered difficult times as all clubs have. We are facing different things in life with covid and they have been a credit to themselves with all they have faced this year.

“I go back to that 5-1 game here, I thought their attitude and the determination to make sure that we finished in the play offs - I want to give them a massive pat on the back because that shows that they have got courage and bravery.

“I know that some players will be going back to their parent clubs and the boys that we have here we have to got to evaluate over the next few days to then bring recruitment in to help us kick on again next season.”

Is that the harsh reality that there has to be a quick turnaround to decide who is staying?

“Until this afternoon we were not certain which league we would possibly be playing in. That is the challenges of being at a club like Dunfermline. At the moment I do not want my disappointment to take away my hunger for this club to do better.

“What I have got to do is to make sure that myself, physically and mentally that I clear my head and take a couple of days just to get away from it all. Then I need to look at progressing this club and the first task of that is recruitment. We have to make sure that we get boys who want to play for Dunfermline Football Club.”

Would promotion be the target next season?

“We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves. My remit when I came into the job was working with players that you can give opportunities to and getting that backbone of experience as well. I think there are only a handful in there who have experienced the play offs, that is not an excuse. As I said before the tie against the Rovers, that brings an excitement to me.

“As long as the boys use that motivation from that hurt feeling from today it will allow them to progress in their careers. It makes me hungry and standing talking to you on the back of a defeat, it is sore but I want to make sure that I will progress and I get better. I expect that from my boys and if the truth be told, I think I saw that in the last six games of the season. As I say I do not want my disappointment to take away from what could be an exciting year for us next year.”

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