Saturday 12th January, 2013 at 9:20pm
Defeat yesterday at Dumbarton was a further blow to our promotion chances and the defeat, and performance, meant it was a hugely disappointed Jackie McNamara that spoke to the press after the game.
“It was a really frustrating afternoon. First half we had two or three great chances to take the lead. Against teams like Dumbarton, especially, away from home it is crucial to score the first goal as if they get it; it gives them something to hold on to. They can then defend in numbers, which they did, and we couldn’t break them down.”
“I said to the players at half-time that it is important, at any level of football, to take your chances when you are dominant in a match and creating all the chances. As I said we could have been two or three ahead by the time they scored their first goal but that gives them such a big lift. We’ve been creating a lot of chances all season but in the last two or three games, starting with the Boxing Day fixture with Morton, we haven’t been taking them. It could be a confidence thing with the front two where they are electing to pass rather than shoot but I’ve said to them that they need to be brave in these situations. That’s true of all the players. If they want to go onto to the next level then they need to be able to handle the pressure of being favourites and take your chances when they come.”
The manager was less than happy too with the contribution from his players at the back as well.
“I was really disappointed to have conceded a goal from a set piece. I think from our point of view there were a few off it from a defensive point of view.”
Dumbarton manager Ian Murray meantime was disappointed that his side’s win hadn’t been enough to take them off the bottom of the league.
“We were hoping to come in after that result and find ourselves off the bottom of the league but we’re not. We can only take care of ourselves anyway to be perfectly honest. Airdrie United have gone away from home and got a great result and perhaps our form has sparked a bit of life into them.”
“It’s really pleasing to have kept two clean sheets in our last three games and I think that the two centre half today were exceptional. To have clean sheets against Morton and Partick Thistle, who generally score a lot of goals, was the most pleasing aspect of the day. Jamie Ewings was looking very confident before he went off. He was coming out and claiming things and his shot stopping was second to none.”
“Jamie just took a bit of cramp in his calf which tightened up and he couldn’t get rid of that and we had to take him off. Fortunately Stephen Grindlay has plenty of experience and is a great shot stopper. The two goalkeepers are very similar in ability. Jamie was in because Stephen got sent off at Dunfermline and done so well and kept his place.”
Although still bottom of the league Dumbarton are very much the form side in the division at present, said Murray.
“It’s purely down to confidence. I think the players have the ability we’ve seen that now against four top sides where we’ve lost just one narrowly 1-0. When I came in confidence was low and I think some believed that they shouldn’t be in this division and they are now showing me, and everyone else that they are capable of playing in this league.”
