Managers Post Inverness CT

Link to audio of both managers post match comments

After losing a goal within the first ninety seconds of the opening league game against Inverness Caley Thistle, Pars manager Stevie Crawford was pleased with the reaction of his team to register their first win over the Highlanders during his stewardship:-

“Having watched the goal back, yes there are things that we can ask the defence to work on in terms of some of the spacing between the players but it is an absolutely brilliant ball. I think sometimes we are too keen to look for our players making mistakes but it was a great delivery from the boy (Daniel Mackay) and Todorov sticks it away really well.

“Inverness have been a team, certainly in my time as manager that we have struggled to get a decent result against them. The reaction was good, it is another great delivery from Dom and Euan Murray attacking to get the equaliser. I felt on the whole that we deserved the win today. As the game went on I felt that we had goals in us but I thought we looked a threat in the first half as well.”

The Thomas - Murray combination worked again for the equaliser and Stevie suggested how strange that was from a wide left and a left central half striking up that sort of a partnership.

“Dom’s deliveries were great, we do look a threat and that is something that we have added to the team this year and long may that continue.”

Reminded that there are an awful lot of Kevin Nisbet goals to find from others this season, SC replied:-

“Declan proved last season that he can score goals and Kevin was scoring goals at Alloa, I am sure that the two of them will contribute on that front. We will play in a slightly different manner because Declan is a different type of striker to what Kevin was but I was delighted to see Declan’s one with possibly ten minutes of the game still to go.

“He was running in behind, he is strong and manages to stay on his feet. He is not thrown himself to the ground and gets his rewards with a really good strike to get us that third goal.

Steven Whittaker was out suspended and in his absence Iain Wilson filled his spot. Stevie merely pointed out the quality of his bench:-

“If you had asked Iain Wilson and Kyle Turner what was on the bench today with Steven sitting out, that is the reason that you get a response as well. It is not me trying to be clever, that is the reality of it.

“Fraser Murray was excellent during the week for us. It was nothing to do with his performance levels and I explained that to Fraser. Naturally he will have been disappointed that he did not start today but Ryan Dow did not start against Kilmarnock.

“We will manage people’s game time. What the players realise is that we want to win games of football and I think when there is belief in that and that is the reasons it will hurt them. When Fraser came on today he didn’t look as if he was petulant or disappointed. He came on and contributed to the win and that is all I can ask of the players.”

Above: New signing, Iain Wilson in action against Inverness Caley Thistle

Given the look of the squad and the strength in depth that he can call on, Stevie was asked if he thought that it might be the best squad that he has ever?

“Yes, being honest about it, I think it is the strongest group mentally as well. I have got trust in them on the work side of it, when you are going through those hard parts we could have crumbled after goal 1-0 down today to an early goal. We have shown a resilience on that side of things and we are going to get different tests over the season.

“We have got off to a great start in the League Cup campaign, we have come up against a very good Inverness side. I know that they were missing a few players today but Inverness have got a decent side and we have managed to come away with the three points which is very pleasing.

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