Stephen Kenny Post St Mirren
Saturday, 10th Mar 2007"It is an opportunity missed today, it is one we would have wanted to win, one we were looking to win so we are disappointed with the draw."
Stephen Kenny was very disappointed with the result feeling that "it was an opportunity missed".
"Territorially we had most of the game. St Mirren set out stall to play 5-4-1 and they wanted to contain. They played one up with ten behind the ball; four midfield players really and five defenders. There weren't really any wide players even it was just a solid sort of set up.
"The initiative was on us to break them down; we can't complain, we have got to score goals. We did OK first half at times, had a few opportunities but we found them a tough nut to crack. They were hard to break down, we had a lot of crosses into the box but probably couldn't get enough clear cut chances. There was a great double save by their goalkeeper. We have three attempts at that one chance; it was a great double save that came back to Adam(Hammill) and he knocked it wide. It was a good chance for us and one that we ought to have taken really.
"I am disappointed that we couldn't get the winner we were looking for. It looked like it was in from the free kick but it was an exceptional save; he (the keeper) has gone the other way and got back very quickly to make that save.
"It is an opportunity missed today, it is one we would have wanted to win, one we were looking to win so we are disappointed with the draw. Our situation is now that we need to start winning sooner rather than later. We are in a precarious situation nine points adrift with eight games left.
"But still we have to go to Inverness next week and see how we do there. See if we can narrow he gap before the split and give ourselves some sort of semblance of a chance.
"The players naturally are very disappointed. Before today they were optimistic, playing well in the last few weeks. Three of the previous five games here have been in the Cup and we have won the three of them; we played well against Kilmarnock when we should probably have beaten them but again we haven't scored goals - that is the bottom line."
St Mirren boss Gus MacPherson knew that Dunfermline were treating it as a must win game:-
"We knew that we were going to be under pressure, hence the reason we have sent our stall up the way we did. A lot of credit to our defenders; the whole team in fact put an incredible shift in. We have got our goalkeeper to be thankful to as well.
"It was a superb ave from the goalkeeper when it took a deflection, it was low down to his left hand side. He just got enough on it because he was going the other way to deal with the first shot. The deflection made it difficult for him to get back to but he got enough on it to get around the post."
Asked if he feels safe now?
"No. There's a simple answer. We have got eight games anything can happen once the split comes along. It is a better point for us than it is for Dunfermline."
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