Managers Post Airdrie United

09/03/13: JJ - "They deserve praise for coming back today. A lot of teams, having come through what they have come through would have thrown the towel in and lost another couple

Jim Jefferies praised his team's attitude in the match against Airdrie United for putting in a performance in the absence of several first team regulars:-

"It is a lot to contend with and you saw a lot of young kids out there. I thought they went about it the right way; they made mistakes defensively and showed a bit of naivety especially at the first one where we did not pick up the runner. We responded well and had a couple of chances. We were in control of the first half after the opening spell.

"We went 3-4-3 today since playing on an astro pitch is always difficult because of the way the ball goes away. It has to be at the feet all the time and it is not easy. Naturally they try to play people in and get the right weighted pass.

"We lost a goal to a free kick that was never a free kick - I have spoken to Crawford Allan (referee) about it. The linesman was five yards away and never gave it so how he can give a free kick from 25 yards away when his assistant is there and never even asked him? He should have had his flag up if it was a foul, he should have communicated that but he did not see it as a foul.

"We lost a goal from it though when it is played in and we have not picked up the runner again though people were delegated to do that. They don't do their job and you find yourself 2-1 down. Then they got a breakaway and when it was played in behind Callum Morris fumbled the ball and allowed McLaren to turn and get a shot in.

"But what a great response from them with a terrific goal from Wallace. Then if the match had gone on five minutes longer we might have won the game. It was great spirit considering all that's going on at the moment.

"I was critical last week saying they needed to put in a bit of effort; that is the least the fans deserve. They could go away happy in the knowledge that there is still a spirit there after all that has gone on. It will give them a bit of heart that these boys, with all the players we had out, gave it their all. That is all that you can ask; they can make mistakes and get punished for them but they never got the heads down.

"It would be easy to let the heads down like we did last week but in every game now, if we are on the pitch we give it our all. They gave us everything today."

The Manager had stressed how important it was for the players to try their hardest because fans were supporting both them and the Club:-

"We could not let them down, we had to put everything behind us. We know the plight of the Club, it is not a case of Gavin Masterton coming down - as has been happening for months - saying that it is going to be sorted, its going to be sorted and it drags on and on. This week we know the Club's situation and there is nothing we can do about it until other people and troops are rallied by Big Jim to try and sort it out.

"Between now and the end of the season they just have to go out, forget everything at the Club - which I know will not be easy - and behave like professional football players. The least that they have got to do is to go out and show a bit of heart and spirit under the circumstances. If they do that people will give you more credit because having done that, with the situation that they are in, then they will get that much praise for it.

"They deserve praise for coming back today. A lot of teams, having come through what they have come through would have thrown the towel in and lost another couple. I am disappointed to have lost the goals that we did but it was fantastic to stop a wee bit of the rot. Credit to them; they can enjoy their performance other than the mistakes that they made that cost us goals because throughout the 90 minutes I thought that they were doing okay."

Airdrie United manager Jimmy Boyle felt that his team had to be criticised for not defending well enough:-

"We are not getting the luck right now but defending like that is just poor. All credit to Dunfermline they fought back and got a point out of it but for me today might be the day that could be the dodgy one for us."

The Airdrie boss was especially critical of the loss of the third goal to Dunfermline in the first minute of added time:-

"If a forward is allowed to twist and turn and get a shot without getting a block, you get what you deserve. You cannot defend like that and expect to win games."