Two Thomsons take on QOS

"We did well considering we had a lot of young players and yet they had experienced players."

Ryan Thomson made his first team debut on Wednesday night as Manager Jim McIntyre gave some of his fringe players a game. The seventeen year old midfielder from Govan was praised by his gaffer after the game and although Ryan enjoyed the whole experience he was a shade disappointed with his second half performance:-

"I thought I did alright in the first half but I gave a few cheap balls away in the second. We did well considering we had a lot of young players and yet they had experienced players."

Ryan was up against Jamie Adams and although he was just 19, the player on loan from Kilmarnock has the experience of going all the way to the finals of the European Youth Championship in July 2006.

"He was a big boy and he won everything in the air but I didn't know who he was but he was a hard opponent to play against."

Scott Thomson was always going to play since he needed match practice after missing the match at St Johnstone through injury but very quickly Ryan realised that his name was going to be in the starting eleven as well. Ryan became aware of the chance he might play when he learned that the Manager was going to field his fringe and younger players:-

"On Tuesday he said he was going to rest a lot of the first team players. When he shaped the team out I could see I was in the team that was going to start."

Running out in front of the fans at East End Park was a real joy for Ryan. A product of Harmony Row Boys Club in Glasgow, he has been at Dunfermline since U15 level. Ryan came on in the pre season friendly against Dundee United but he admitted it might take some time to get accustomed to playing in front of crowds greater than the 50 to 80 he has encountered playing for the under 19s.

"Nobody likes losing, it was disappointing altogether but we will just need to keep learning. Its a lot different from playing with the under 19s. Sometimes you get more time on the ball but then other times if you don't look round your shoulder somebody is right up against you and it is hard to get away from them."

Now Ryan and his fellow U19 squad members - Paul Willis, Harry McGregor, Jordan White and Stuart Dearden have all had a taste of first team football he feels that they just need to work hard to improve and become serious contenders for a place not just on the bench, but in the starting line up.