Dunfermline Athletic

Stephen Simmons Post Rangers

Sunday, 7th Jan 2007

"Folk thought we would get turned over four or five but we showed that we have good character in our dressing room, come out fighting and managed to

Ticket Info:- Falkirk v Dunfermline  13/01/07

Stephen Kenny's pre match team talk highlighted Dunfermline's proud Scottish Cup successes in the past. He marched his entire squad into the Jock Stein Lounge at 11 o' clock to allow them to see what Cup success means.  After viewing the photographs that portrayed the clubs famous Scottish Cup victories in 1961 and 1968, he urged his side to go out, attack and try and get their own cup run together. His aim was to get a response that would work. The half time address too, was certainly a new experience for the Pars players, Stephen Simmons revealed:-

"I couldn't believe listening to him say we were two up. We have never had that. It was great, especially against Rangers. Two up against any team is good but against Rangers it is fantastic, we just wanted to get out there and keep it going."

The uniqueness of the situation after 25 matches this season without taking a lead had dwelt on the minds in the build up to the cup tie:-

"We were all saying that we would like to see what we could do if we scored first in a game. We are always starting a goal down, we are not good enough to start a goal down. Once we went a goal up, two, three we hoped that we could do that more often and maybe put teams away that are down there with us."

Dunfermline v Rangers, click for larger image
Stephen turns away having put Dunfermline into a 2-0 lead

Stephen elevated himself to the Pars second top goalscorer with his third of the season with a 29th minute strike against Rangers when he pounced on Owen Morrison's overhead kick:-

"I got two bites at it. They managed to get a block on the first one which was good defending but it broke to me again and I managed to stick it in. It was the wee bit of luck that we need. It has gone for us this time and hopefully that is a taste of what is to come.

"It will give us a lot of confidence. Folk thought we would get turned over four or five but we showed that we have good character in our dressing room, come out fighting and managed to get a win today.

Dunfermline v Rangers, click for larger image
Stephen celebrates the Cup win with Roddy McKenzie

"We just needed a bit of luck. The chances they had was cleared off the line, if that goes in you never know what happens but we managed to keep it out, get our luck at the other end and kick on from there.

"They were attacking and attacking. It was backs to the wall and we knew they were going to at 3-0 down. They came right at us and we managed to hold on at the end with a good team effort from everybody. Good defending - I thought Scott Wilson and Phil McGuire were absolutely excellent for us.

"Nobody expected us to get anything out of the game today and if we go out with the same attitude against the Hearts we will hopefully get the same result.

Match Report v Rangers Scottish Cup Fourth Round Draw
Stephen Kenny Post Rangers



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