Dunfermline midfielder Paul Allan is optimistic his team can produce a match winning performance against Morton in front of the live tv cameras this Friday night. The incentive is great given a victory could propel Dunfermline from their current eighth place in the cinch Championship all the way up to fourth. Paul said:-
“The position that we are in now doesn’t look great, but with a couple of games in hand, if we can get a wee run going and pick up one or two wins which in this league can jump you up the table hugely. That’s what we’ll be looking to start on Friday.”
Despite having games in hand, Dunfermline, sitting in eighth place at the moment doesn’t make the best viewing. Paul acknowledges this and sees the trip to Greenock as a perfect opportunity to turn things around. “If we can win on Friday and get ourselves up to fourth before the games on Saturday, it looks a lot better. We need to play well again, take our chances, and secure the three points come Friday.”
However, Cappielow Park has not been a fruitful location for Dunfermline in recent times, as they haven’t managed to secure a win in their last ten visits. Paul played in the most recent match there in January 2022 and although he has probably extinguished that disastrous night from his memory, he is aware of the challenge in going there but remains undaunted. “From previous experiences, we’ve had a tough few visits there. It is a tough place to go, they are a well-organised team, and the conditions when I’ve played there have not been great. Come Friday, hopefully, they are a wee bit better,” he comments. He also highlighted the direct and determined nature of Morton’s playing style and highlights the importance of matching their intensity while showcasing quality to secure the win.
The Friday night match will be broadcast live on the BBC Scotland channel. Allan expresses his fondness for Friday night football, saying, “I like it. It is always good, especially if it’s on TV. I know some might not be a huge fan of it, but playing on Friday nights is something different, and if you do well, you get the weekend off.” He also feels that television coverage provides an extra motivational factor, as players aim to perform well for the viewers at home.
Reflecting on their first meeting with Morton earlier in the season, where Dunfermline secured a 3-1 win, Paul hopes to replicate that success. “That was one of our better performances earlier in the season, and we managed to get the result to go along with it. We want to do the same again and get a similar result,” he states.
Paul Allan missed the matches away to Queen’s Park and Partick Thistle due to injuries, but he is now fully recovered and eager to contribute to the team’s success. He has been delighted to be handed responsibility for taking corners and setplays and is confident in his ability to create goal-scoring opportunities. “I hope I can repay the manager on Friday. I am confident taking set pieces; I have been doing it for a while, so hopefully, I can put a good one in that maybe creates a chance to score a goal come Friday.”
Despite some near misses in recent matches, Paul remains focused on the team’s potential to convert scoring opportunities. “If we can just sharpen up a wee bit when these chances fall for us, hopefully, we can take an easy one to get us going,” he says.
Paul Allan’s journey this season has seen him make eleven appearances for Dunfermline, with seven of them coming as a substitute. He remains positive about the team’s performance and their ability to create goal-scoring opportunities. He believes that maintaining their current level of play and seizing the chances that come their way will help Dunfermline secure a positive result on Friday night.
As the anticipation builds for the pivotal face off with Morton, Paul Allan and his teammates are determined to turn the tide in their favour and take advantage of the Friday night fixture to make a significant leap up the league table.
