Manager Post Airdrieonians

05/04/14: JJ - "In a funny way we have just qualified for third place.

Listen to this Jim Jefferies Interview               MATCH PICTURES

"I think we played some really good football today against a team who were fighting for their lives. They have been on a good run but I was very disappointed with the first goal. I felt it was a clear foul on Husband before the ball went forward."

When play continued Callum Morris then conceded a free kick when stopping Caolan McAleer. Keegan Parker used the opportunity to bend his free kick round the Dunfermline wall to find the net off the right goalpost. The Pars gaffer acknowledged the goal as a "great strike". He continued:-

"The only disappointing thing for me was that in the last third, there was just not enough quality there. You have to give them credit for the way they defended.

"They had something to hang on to but I think the game will be best remembered for some of the crazy decisions that were going on all day. For a grade one referee I think he had as poor a performance as we have had this season.

"We dominated the second half because we came out and worked hard. We tried to play and changed it a couple of times to see if we could find a wee opening. We have put plenty balls into the box but at the end of the day you have to have a desire to get on the end of them."

The second Airdrieonians goal in the first minute of added time was immaterial but was a comedy of an error between Callum Morris and goalkeeper Ryan Scully. JJ continued:-

"The last goal didn't matter anyway but it was as big a cock up as you are going to see. Hesitant trying to keep the ball in play, not kick it out. In these instances you just have to kick it up the park but he got himself caught in two minds. Caught between trying to play it out and booting it. It has ricocheted and fallen for the boy.

"We dominated most of the game today but when they got the goal it gave them that desire. They need every single point that they can. We have qualified for the play offs but we need to get back to our winning ways.

"The effort was there today but maybe that we bit of quality in the last third, when we got into good positions we never really created enough. That is something that we have to keep working away at.

"Earlier on we were very clinical in that department with the number of goals that we have scored this year. We have created a lot of chances but now the chances are not coming as much as they were earlier in the season. We have to do work on that.

"They are a young team and they have never been in this position before and they are learning all the time from it."

Jim Jefferies dismissed the suggestion that the inability to win five of their last six matches should be a concern in regard to the play offs in May:-

"The players will look after themselves and will be well up for them when the play offs come round. They are going to be major cup finals and everybody will be giving their all. We are maybe not there at the moment. It is probably better to happen now than when the play offs come round.

"We have too many good players in there, one or two off the boil a bit but that will come back and I am sure that the spur of the prize at the end of it will be enough.

"We have four games left and one win does us from those four games but we want to get that as quickly as possible. When you are fighting teams down there like East Fife and Brechin who gave us a hard game last week - you could see that they won again today and East Fife got a draw.

"Teams at the bottom of the league are causing all the problems because they don't want to go out of this league by getting into a relegation play off situation. At the other end of the scale we tied it up last week.

"Second will play third and no one can catch us in third now that Ayr dropped points. They are twelve behind but because we have a superior goal difference we have sealed third today since Ayr got beat. Second places third anyway.

"With one win and one draw in the last six games we are having a bad spell now but we can get it sorted out and be ready for the play offs. In a funny way we have just qualified for third place. There is a massive goal difference and you would be asking Ayr to win all their games and us to lose them all.

"I think we can say two will play three and it is just a case of who will have home advantage second.

"These players have been fantastic and I thought the effort was there today. They were well up for it. It was a good atmosphere with the fans being great and right behind us. I think it was a stop start game due to some crazy crazy (decisions).

"How Husband wasn't given a foul? Then you see that last one there with Shankland, I just shook my head when he blocked a 50-50. He wasn't late, he wasn't over the ball and the boy got up after thirty seconds and ran away with a smile on his face. He was not hurt or carried off yet Shanks has got a booking. I find that just incredible." 

"The daddy of them all came at half time when he asked what we were doing at free kicks; that's nothing to do with him. We explained that we were trying to make it difficult for them to pick us up. We were trying to free somebody to get the ball. That is something that we work on; we cannot have the referee analysing what we are trying to do. It is nothing to do with him.  If he sees a foul he has to give it.

"It was the same for both. I thought a couple of decisions later on that we got weren't fouls. I am not having a go at Airdrie; they are in a fight for their lives but Gary has got them well organised. After they got their goal they fought like everything to keep us out. They made it very difficult for us but that's life. It wasn't as if we were outplayed today because out of the two teams we played far more football than Airdrie did. They won the game and did what they are good at to win it."   MATCH PICTURES

Listen to Airdrieonians manager Gary Bollan`s views