Managers Post Dundee United

Stephen Kenny and Craig Levein

Stephen Kenny was pleased with his players attitude and commitment:-

"I have consistently been pleased with that but the key moment was that they had a chance that came straight off Dorus' feet and we went down the other end and scored. We took our chance; it was the key moment really because there was a period of game there, three or four where we were in the ascendancy in games but we just couldn't get the wins. It is difficult sometimes to put your finger on that.

"I thought we deserved to win today. Without being outstanding, we worked extremely hard for each other and have probably played better football in other games and not won but I felt that we defended very well and the players workrate was tremendous. I was pleased to get the victory.

"We worked hard from the situation we were in, we were nine points adrift and nearly went eleven adrift at one stage. People said we should plan for the First Division etc. But we felt within the group that we had to stand up and be counted; not accept that fate. Make sure that we could come back and show what we are made of really.

"We have had three victories but we have four more games and still have a lot of hard work to do. We are not talking about momentum, we are talking about application; continuous application over the last four games is what we have to do.

"We haven't really been speaking about St Mirren; we speak about ourselves and what we can do. We haven't been saying let's look at them or the other. We are basically saying in the situation that we were in, to give ourselves every chance, with three games before the split that we had to win two out of three at least. We did that and then look to the next game against Dundee United.

"We are not really speaking about St Mirren, we are speaking about ourselves. We will think about St Mirren next because that will be the next league game. We will speak about them in that context, but we are really concerned about ourselves here and what we can do ourselves."

The Manager had to double take on the question that enquired "if he was enjoying it":-

"Well, you certainly enjoy when you get your rewards. I suppose it is a question, do you enjoy it? I don't know, you have to try and be the best you can be. At nine points down we certainly had to ask questions of ourselves and search inside ourselves to try and get a response. I think enjoyment comes with the victory itself and how hard the players are working on the training ground. Their efforts every day and their application has been first class. They are continually doing that. When you get your reward at the end of that and I suppose if that constitutes enjoying it maybe that's true."

The Dunfermline gaffer has a Scottish Cup Semi Final to concern him, so much so that he might not get to The Falkirk Stadium on Monday night to watch the match between two of his team's opponents in the remaining four SPL matches:-

"We are going away again to prepare for Tuesday. If it allows me to go, I will go depending on how we are doing for time. We are training in the afternoon in Glasgow and we stay there in Glasgow Monday and we are prepared for Tuesday and make sure we are well rested. If I can get there I will, we shall see. Obviously we will have the match covered and analysed."

Dundee United Manager, Craig Levein felt that his team did not do enough, especially in the final third:-

"The last twice we have played Dunfermline I have felt that we should have won the match but I couldn't, hand on heart, sit here and say that we should have won that match today. That would be an injustice to Dunfermline. we didn't have enough good quality chances to win.

"We had some players who played very well today but none of them were in the front three. We passed the ball reasonably well up until the last third of the pitch and had they moved the goals maybe another forty yards down the pitch then we might have had a chance of winning.

"Dunfermline are fighting for their livelihood and I expected what they did today. They have improved in recent weeks with getting confidence through getting a couple of results. I am sure that is exactly what Stephen (Kenny) would have expected of them as well.

"There wasn't much in it. Three or four months ago Dunfermline wouldn't have got the goal but things have turned around for them; maybe their workrate has improved and because of that they are getting a bit of justice. I can't begrudge them the points today because looking at our own team I think we weren't anywhere near our recent performances."