Managers Post Forfar

05/10/13: JJ "It was a high last week, it is a low this week.

MATCH PICTURES
After watching his team dominate the first half at Forfar Jim Jefferies could not be angry with his team at half time despite the scoreline showing the Pars two goals down:-

"We were guilty of again doing what we have been doing recently - giving teams a goal of a start. It happened again today when we didn't get off the ground to attack the ball. We talked about Templeman and you cannot give him free headers, McManus is sharp and you have to be on your toes with him. It was a good first touch and he finished it before we could react.

"The second was disappointing because we had the ball in the middle of the park but somebody got in trouble. Then when it broke  a crazy pass back led to a corner and the person who messed up in the middle of the park was supposed to do his job at the set play but didn't do it again.

"We had chances, we had all the build up, all the football but they had something to hang on to. At half time the game was not finished because we were creating chances. We started the second half really well too. We had a couple of half chances but it is a strange game. Last week we took everything and finished up great, this week we got into good positions and never took advantage of them.

"The whole game died after they scored their third goal. I told the players that I didn't think that it was an outstanding performance from Forfar. It was hard working, which we expected because Dick was asking for that last week.

"I have got to say that if you look at the four goals, they were pretty easy goals to give them. They had the ball in the bottom corner when he should have let it run out of play. It had ricocheted off his own man and by keeping it in he put himself under pressure. He made a bad clearance away and the boy had a pop at goal and it came off the bar and the other boy finishes it.

"We said at half time that the next goal was important. If we get it, it would open the whole game up again and puts them under pressure but if we lose it would be a tough task. We gave it away.

"I think you could see the fourth one was just another basic mistake. The header should have been back to the goalkeeper, I don't know what he was thinking about trying to find the right back it was straight forward. I said to him after the game 'do you realise that the goalkeeper can pick it up from headed balls back?' That is where you have got to have your awareness. 'What you did was sclaffed a header towards Ross Millen when there was no chance of it reaching Ross Millen.' The boy has picked it up taken him on, fired it across the middle and we have not reacted.

"For me the goals were very very easy on a performance - with a first half that was probably one of the better performances away from home football wise. We did not take our opportunities but Forfar in the end took advantage. They deserved their win because they took advantage of a lot of slackness that we showed today. You will never get away with it whoever you are playing - a bottom of the league team, top or middle- if you keep making basic mistakes like we did today.

"I have said many times that we are a young team and we are not good enough to go about shouting that we are going to win every game. You have to make games tougher than it was today.  We actually gave the game away with the level of easiness that they got their goals.

"It makes it look like we got thumped but I don't think it looked like we got thumped on open play it was thumped by gifting them opportunities that they cashed in on. We had opportunities as well but didn't score. Strangely enough we played a lot of good football and passing movements but we need to defend better than we are doing.

"It is a sore one to take but they have got to learn from these mistakes. We made a mistake last week in the first minute and got punished or it. You have to be more resilient and go into the next game and try and put it right. It was a high last week, it is a low this week. That is what you are going to get from boys at that level."

Forfar manager Dick Campbell claimed he knew Dunfermline would come back at his team in the second half:-

"We weathered the storm and were worthy winners. I don't think our keeper had a save to make, maybe one. The important thing is four goals for us and nothing against.

"Getting that third goal was a really important one for us. We needed to get the three points today because somebody said to me 'what do the fans think about you being bottom of the league?

"We are not happy about that and neither are the players and everybody connected to the club. Lets get on with it.  We were missing our captain Gavin Swankie (suspended) but he'll not get on after that today."

Brother Ian added

"The reports we got on Dunfermline were very good - playing with confidence, scoring a few goals. They had good possession today but we negated them. They are a good side, one of the best sides in the league."