United blow for Craigen

“It is definitely a blow for us but we have six games to go and we just need to concentrate on winning as many as we can

After winning five games in a row without conceding a single goal it now looks like the weather enforced break seriously halted the Pars momentum. James Craigen was philosophical claiming that you could look at the ten day delay in meeting Dundee United and then Ayr United three days later, in two ways.

“If we had gone out and won the two games, you would have said the break had refreshed us but unfortunately we have not won them. You can look at it from both angles but looking at it now you would say, yes we want the games coming thick and fast.

“We were thinking if we could take points from the two home games we could really close in but we have taken two defeats and it is definitely a step back for us.

The 28 year old who has made 49 first team starts since signed from Falkirk in January last year conceded that unfortunately the team just didn’t perform in the first half.

“Ayr were by far the better team and deserved to go into the half time break 1-0 up and it could have been more.”

James was disappointed not to start:-

“Like any footballer I was disappointed not to play but I have played a lot of games this season. I spoke to the manager before the game so when I came on I tried to do my best to force my way back into the starting line up.”

James watched from the sidelines until an injury to Joe Thomson five minutes from the interval caused the manager to throw him on as a substitute. He continued:-

“It was a difficult first half whether you were playing or not you want the team to be doing well. We were just a bit off the pace of the game and obviously we went a goal down and they had a couple more chances, it was frustrating.”

Dunfermline finished the game strongly but the chances just did not fall for them, James felt that they created chances which on another day would have end up with the ball in the back of the net.

“We have to take the positives out of the second half performance, we probably shaded it second half but the first half performance let us down on the evening.

“We are a few points behind both Ayr United and Inverness now, it is definitely a blow for us but we have six games to go and we just need to concentrate on winning as many as we can and see what happens.

“There are points there to play for and we want to win as many as we can to put pressure on the teams above us.”

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