Managers post Arbroath

24/04/21: Link to audio of both Stevie Crawford and Dick Campbell’s post match comments

Exhausted with emotion was how Stevie Crawford described himself after watching his side see out a 4-3 win over Arbroath that took them through to the Premiership play offs. Stevie said:-

“The emotion, never mind the players, that the coaching staff went through there to find ourselves in the play offs. That was our objective from the start of the season and I can’t be prouder of the players in the last two weeks. There was pressure on us and we will still prepare properly for the Alloa game on Friday night but to have scored seven goals and faced what we have faced is a credit to us all.”

Was there a point in the last few weeks that you thought that this might not happen?

“No, there has always been a belief and please note that is not with an arrogance. I thought we got off to a tremendous start to the season. The second third was a hard period in terms of fixtures but you are going to face that over the course of a season.

“We knew that there were going to be three big games coming up at the end and thankfully we have managed to do it with a game to spare with two good victories over Queens and Arbroath today.”

They threw a lot at you at the end with bodies were put on the line to block things. There was a lot of character shown to see it out?

“Listen we were tempted myself, Greg and Jason to start throwing ourselves at it. Credit to Arbroath, they were throwing everything at us in a never say die attitude to come from two goals down to level the game.

“Again I thought that there was a positive reaction from us. We lost a goal against Queens last week but we went up the park and scored another. That takes a certain mentality and I do think that we are improving as a squad.

“I have said it before I think that there is potential in the squad that we can get better. We have not maximised where we are at yet. We will enjoy the fact that we are now in the play offs and it is guaranteed and prepare for the Alloa game on Friday.

“Decisions were made today. Declan McManus is playing with a shoulder that is strapped up. He didn’t want to rule himself out of the game and he has been a big part since coming back into the team.

“You take Declan off today for no other reason other than he is carrying a shoulder injury and he has given us what he can.

“Big Vytas, there was nothing wrong with his performance but there is a guy who has come over from Lithuania in the lockdown to live on a flat and people forget that. To come out under difficult circumstances at the moment, he is a human being and when results don’t go for you it takes character and he will be the first to say that the players have rallied round to make him feel welcome at Dunfermline. I think that it has shown in his performances.

“As I said there were decisions made in the last couple of weeks, it personal decisions just the right decisions to win games of football. That is what we have to remain focused on.”

Dick Campbell was annoyed about the lead up to the third Dunfermline goal when his captain Thomas O’Brien went down and he felt that the game should have been stopped. What did you see of that?

“There is that much that happened in that game today. I thought that we had other chances in the game, I thought that we scored four really good goals and I am not going to get caught up in anything.

“Dick will have seen it the game the way he wants to see it. I am just full of admiration and pride. I support my players for their efforts in the last couple of games because we have managed to get into a play off position and we can look forward now.”

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