Dunfermline and Queen of the South managers reflect on match

After seven games without a victory, Dunfermline got the three points they badly needed against former boss Allan Johnston's Doonhamers, thanks to goals from Kevin O'Hara, Fraser Murray and Ewan Henderson.

It moved the Pars back up to fourth, two points ahead of Inverness - who host Dundee tomorrow evening - and to within two of the third-top Taysiders with two matches to go.

Crawford was delighted with his team's performance, which saw them dominate for large spells, even if they survived a first half penalty claim and needed Owain Fon Williams to make two superb saves right on the interval from Connor Shields and Ayo Obileye.

The head coach deployed a 4-1-3-2 system and it seemed to suit Thomas down to a tee, as the former Kilmarnock man turned in a superb display.

He had a hand in all three goals, which included beating James Maxwell - who grabbed Queens' solitary strike - with some superb skill to set up Murray for number two, which left Crawford purring post match.

"Results-wise, it's been tough over a number of weeks there," he said.

"I did say that, the performance against Hearts, I felt we could've taken all three points, (but) it didn't materialise that way. Ayr United, we went down, took a point and possibly could've taken all three that day as well, and against Dundee through the week, when I watched it back, albeit it was quite an open game, (and) we had a spell in the second half when we were under the cosh, again we had opportunities to win the game.

"We were front foot today, we created a number of chances - I think Allan even changed his set-up during the first half with the problems that we were causing them, and we scored three good goals and won the game. We've got to make sure that we carry that into next week.

"I've looked at the stats there and we've had 15 chances and hit the target with 10 of them. It's good from a striker's point of view, albeit you love to be able to cut inside and curl one into the top corner. Kevin O'Hara anticipating and Dom Thomas taking it on his right foot, going across the goalkeeper, and then Kevin's there for the tap in.

"That's your bread and butter and, on that side of it, that was really pleasing. It took a goal like that to get us up and running.

"I'm not one for singling players out, but Dom Thomas was magnificent today. For a boy that plays a wide role, some of the stuff he did today was outstanding, but I've just said to the boys in there as well, credit to them because they gave Dom that platform.

"As a team, they gave him that opportunity to do that today. He was a handful and we need to try and get Dom on the ball more to allow him to do that."

When asked if Thomas' had maybe suffered due to opposing teams focusing on the threat he offers, Crawford replied: "You're maybe better asking Dom that question.

"I do know it's hard to bring consistency when you're type of player. People see that today and then you sometimes ask why can't you get to those level more often? But that's not a criticism of Dom. They're a dying breed in Scottish football I think, but possibly we were just giving him the ball that little bit earlier today, a little bit higher up the pitch, that allowed him to show what he was able to do; cut inside, is he going on the outside?

"They ended up doubling up on him and what happens is then we created space for others today to take advantage of it.

"Today, when you look at it, Kevin led the line from the off. I've already said I'm delighted with the goal that he got, he played his part in one - he just nicks it before the keeper, probably would've loved to have put that one away himself, but he showed a composure and picked out Dom, who finds Ewan Henderson.

"The positives were the reaction we got. We knew we had to win the game today and, to play under that pressure having went a number of games without winning, we showed that we've got those battling qualities that we had earlier in the season when we went through difficult times.

"Queens score quite late on in the game, and our reaction was to go up the park and try and score again. It's not getting carried away but it was more like us today."

Asked about being in the play-off mix ahead of tomorrow's clash between Inverness and Dundee, Crawford continued: "The Inverness Dundee game is outwith our hands.

"We knew coming into today we had three big games, three games we've looked at as a squad we want to win. We've no divine right to win those games because of how hard the league is.

"Arbroath are on the back of a 4-0 result today; it's a great victory for them but we've got to take confidence from ourselves.

"The players have also got to go away and enjoy the weekend because it has been a testing period for us. There's still players in there that are experiencing their first full season if you can call this a full season.

"They've had bumps and bruises along the way, but they've given themselves an opportunity.

"If we perform like that next week we'll give ourselves the best possible chance to take all three points."

Crawford, who said it was too early to say how serious injuries to Declan McManus, forced off with a shoulder problem, and Euan Murray and Paul Watson, who missed out at the weekend, also had praise for his goalkeeper Fon Williams.

"Magnificent. He pulls off two quality saves," he added.

"People are always quick to pinpoint when a goalkeeper makes a mistake, but he played a big part in that as well. There are some boys that have dipped away with a wee bit of form, but today they showed it mattered to them.

"It's not getting carried away but that was more like us with what we were at in the earlier parts of the season."

Queens gaffer Johnston was disappointed with the result for his side, 24 hours after he and assistant, Sandy Clark, agreed new two-year contracts at Palmerston.

He singled out Thomas as the difference in the match, but felt his side should have had a penalty at 1-0 when Obileye went down inside the Pars box.

"The big centre half's got him in a headlock - I think everybody could see it apart from the referee, but I don't want to criticise him too much," he said.

"To be fair to Dunfermline, I thought they started really well. They get the early goal through (the assist from) Dom Thomas, obviously it was good skill and whatever, but he was probably the difference between the two teams today if I'm honest. He's played a part in all three goals.

"I think Dunfermline went ahead, and deservedly so, and then we started to get back in the game. We started creating chances of our own; Dunfermline were still a danger obviously on the break and whatever as well with the quality they've got, but their keeper probably had a couple of really good saves that keeps them in the game.

"You could see they were a bit nervy. We thought that was a chance, even second half, we still thought there was an opportunity to come back, but it wasn't to be because we're still losing poor goals."

When asked about his team's promotion play-off aspects - they're five points adrift with two games to go - he added: "It's going to be tough obviously.

"Big clubs like Dunfermline and whatever will be looking to get into the play-off spots but we've got to make sure we don't get dragged in the other way as well because the league's incredibly tight. You look at results today, Arbroath winning as well, so we've just got to make sure we finish the season strongly and try and finish as highly as possible."