Stephen Kenny Post Hearts

Second half we were more attacking and we looked more of a goal threat certainly.... The onus is on us to g

"I don`t think a draw would have flattered us. It wasn`t a great first half overall but we started well and Sol had a couple of chances, a couple of saves from Craig Gordon but we conceded from Hearts first attack at a setpiece. It was criminal defending from our point of view because we have tightened up on that sort of thing. The last four or five weeks we haven`t been looking like conceding from set play at all; it has been very tight defensively. We were punished.

"Hearts had one or two chances towards the end of the half but in the second half we were a bit more direct with Jim Hamilton and Owen (Morrison) coming on. We lost a couple of players because we have had a virus in the camp; Greg Shields was really really struggling, he had to come off at half time and Gary Mason jarred his back in that first half. He was lying down injured when his back went into spasm.

"We were forced into a couple of changes but we probably would have made one or two anyway. We were more direct in the second half and that seemed to cause Hearts a few problems. Mark Burchill`s goal was disallowed when Jim won the ball cleanly - it looks like he won the ball cleanly but a foul was given.

"We created a few chances but have just not scored. Hearts had a few chances themselves. In fairness I am not trying to paint a picture that wasn`t there that it was all one way or anything. We could have been two down a couple of times but the effort and a fair determination was there, it is just a bit frustrating that can`t seem to score in the last few games."

Asked if he was sorry having to give hard luck tales and having to say the same old things the Dunfermline Manager replied with a smile and a question:-

"Am I giving that impression am I?

"We are disappointed with our Christmas period. We played really well against Motherwell here at home and we should have really won that game but we lost it. We battled hard against Hibs but they were a little too good for us but today there wasn`t much in the game overall.

"We looked like we were going to get an equaliser there for a little stage. Owen Morrison and Jim Hamilton came on and caused a few problems. I suppose, last week against Motherwell we had Freddie Daquin and Scott Muirhead causing problems for Motherwell but they were both out injured today. They picked up knocks at the weekend against Hibs. We had to reshuffle a bit but I can`t say that we had a real cutting edge to the first half.

"Second half we were more attacking and we looked more of a goal threat certainly, maybe Hearts did as well. We are disappointed that we lost at home; the onus is on us to get results here."

Questioned about the chances of bringing in fresh faces during the transfer window Stephen Kenny said:-

"We will get players in; we will add to it over the next week or two. We will make a couple of changes; we need to add a couple of players in and I think we shall do that. We will get some players back from injury and be a bit stronger. The next league game for us is Falkirk away; hopefully we will be in a healthier position when we go and play Falkirk away."

Do you start to feel the worse when you see teams around you picking up points?

"It is not the best feeling alright when you hear of your rivals doing well. I am not trying to deny it and shrug my shoulders and say that it doesn`t matter, of course it does but the reality is - the league goes into top six, bottom six and favours a team in our position in the league. We are nine points behind and eight out of last nine games will be against teams in the bottom six. We have to aspire to narrow the gap in someway going into those last nine games. If we can narrow the gap by three or four points in the interim, it will give us a strong chance going into those last nine games with a stronger squad."

Asked if he had now got it right off the park:-

"I am not going to sit here and say that everything is brilliant because it is not - we are bottom of the league and we have had a few bad results. I can`t deny or hide from that. But what I will say is as you can see from the second half, and the game against Motherwell and even Hibs at the weekend where there was a lot of effort and determination there. Once you have that, you have a chance and we need a bit of quality in one or two areas and we will be a lot stronger. I think we will get better over the next few weeks. We still need to improve in a couple of areas otherwise we wouldn`t be in the position we are in."