Manager Post Airdrie

04/05/13: JJ - "We just didn't see it through and it is down to bad finishing.

Jim Jefferies felt that Dunfermline should have had the outcome of the Airdrie United match out of sight by half time:-

"Their goal led a charmed life. We hit the woodwork a couple of times but other times we were wanting that extra touch to take it round people when we should have been burying them. If we had come in 4-0 maybe even 5 up I don't think that there would have been any complaints.

"Airdrie have been a bogey side for us this season and they came out in the second half and got a hesitation at the back, as you often do with youngsters, that allowed the first goal. That was a killer just after half time but at least it gave us time to come back. We got the equaliser and then it got farcical because we had too many great moves and great chances. How many chances did we need?

"We tried to lay it on a plate for somebody else instead of taking the initiative ourselves. Geggan was through and tried to square it to Thomson. Wallace was through and tried to find somebody, Shaun Byrne at the end - it was just unbelievable the chances that we were missing.

"As far as how they played and went about it, that was terrific. They just dominated, especially in the first half when it was just shooting in at times. You have got to put the ball in the net, so we got punished for that.

"We are not gloom and doom. Congratulations to Cowdenbeath they won their game and we didn't win ours. But we are not relegated and now have possibly four tough play off matches to get ourselves through. We will have to be up for it, get over the disappointment of today and show character and mettle."

Jim wouldn't place any of the blame on nerves or lack of experience:-

"Most of the chances fell to Ryan Wallace and how he did he not hit a hattrick in the first half alone? In the second half he had chances, even when through he might have got a penalty but for me he should have had the ball in the net. I do not know why he had to take it round the goalie, it was on his right hand side and he should have buried it. He has a terrific strike so I do not know why. Every time he made a decision, it was the wrong decision.

Ryan Wallace's chances were squeezed out

"You cannot say it was down to inexperience because Ryan Wallace has played most of the year and he is a great finisher in training. He has scored great goals for us, so it was most unlike him to miss those chances. He was not the only one to miss chances and when we got the opportunity to go and be clinical we tried to find somebody else to go and do it for us.

"Maybe they will learn from that that when you get the opportunities, you go and bury them and talk about it later. There is no doubt that they were so far in front today but it was Airdrie's day because they have been gifted a goal just after half time with hesitation.

"Then Whittle took a throw in to nobody and Willie McLaren who had just come on shot with his first touch and found the corner of the net from 30 yards. He wasn't trying to find somebody else, he was trying to score and that's what happens.

"We did so well to get ourselves into a good position for today but just didn't see it through and it is down to bad finishing."

Given the Under 20s played a tough final on Wednesday, Jim felt that his team had been well set up. Shaun Byrne and Chris Kane were listed as substitutes since he had others with fresher legs to start.

"Today's result was not to do with team selection, it was to do with bad, bad finishing. There were some great performances; you could argue Wallace had to be in there to miss them. I thought Thomson had a great game, caused them all sorts of problems and deserved his goal although he could be thinking that he could have had a hattrick as well. They gave everything and hopefully there is enough in the tank for the remaining games to give it all again."

The Manager was quizzed on whether he felt that his young and relatively inexperienced side could deal with the pressure of play off games.

"They will have to! They have put themselves in that position, now they have to go and handle it. We know whenever it is a team from a lower division against a team from a higher league, that galvanises them and they want to make a name for themselves.

"We have to go to Forfar where there is an astro pitch. These games are never easy but we have spent a lot of time on astro recently. We have good footballers, good passers of the ball and we will go there and try and win the game and then when they come back to East End Park hope to finish them off.

"These will be tough matches for these young boys but they have been in tough matches at Morton and Partick Thistle last week. Maybe the only people that will be happy will be the administrators because it could give us another couple of home games and a decent crowd. There is always a positive.

"If they go about the games in the same way, play like they did today but when they get in front of goal instead of trying to find somebody else just bury it. If they had done that today there would have been no need for play offs. We will prepare, be up for it and give it our all."

The consequences of relegation would mean a lower budget and the Manager reminded the media that Dunfermline are in this situation because of the harsh 15 point penalty deduction.

"For all the people that have caused the problems there should be more action taken against people who run clubs down. It should never be the players who suffer. They would suffer because if we go down we would have to work on a lesser squad and some would lose their jobs even though it is not their fault.

"If a group of people go and run a football club like that they should put a sanction on them saying that they just cannot do that. All the time it is the players that suffer; they had fifteen hard earned points taken away from them. The Club put them in this situation and these boys deserve a lot of credit."

Airdrie United manager Jimmy Boyle was delighted with his side who have taken seven points off Dunfermline this season:-

"I was really really pleased with our performance. We did ride our luck a lot, especially in the first half when they hit the post and the bar. We are really really young and inexperienced but I am pleased for these supporters who came through that they left with a win."

The Airdrie manager made a master substitution in 61 minutes introducing Willie McLaren to score with his first touch:-

"Sometimes these work out, when you put on Willie McLaren you never know what is going to happen. Things like that can happen with Willie.

"As for Dunfermline, I'm sure that they will be fine in the play offs. I am sorry to see them the way they are. Jim is a good lad and there are a lot of supporters here."