Dunfermline: James McPake reacts to Airdrieonians defeat

TWO former Athletic frontmen came back to haunt them on Tuesday night as James McPake bemoaned the lack of a clinical finish in their defeat to Airdrieonians.

Nikolay Todorov, part of Dunfermline's League One title winning side, and Gabby McGill, who previously spent two years with the club, were on target as the Diamonds claimed a first win in seven meetings between the sides.

From a Pars perspective, there was plenty to like for large periods, particularly in the first half, where they created several fine opportunities to score.

Matty Todd, who scored the decisive goal in Dunfermline's 2-1 win at the Excelsior in the last game between the two, could've had a first half hat-trick.

He didn't catch a shot cleanly enough inside the opening minute, after good work from Alex Jakubiak at the edge of the box, drove another effort wide after good work by Ben Summers, and fired over when Paul Allan slid a free-kick into his path on the right of the penalty box.

Matty Todd had chances for Dunfermline in the first half. (Image: Craig Brown.)

Miles Welch-Hayes - who was lucky not to sustain a serious injury after a high challenge from Adam Frizzell, which was punished only with a yellow card before a melee ensued - had a header cleared off the line, whilst Jakubiak, who came in for Chris Kane, who missed out with fatigue, also had two decent opportunities after half-time.

By then, Todorov, in the 16th minute, had nodded Airdrie in front with a close-range far post header, before McGill's superb strike on the hour mark, which saw him take a touch, swivel, and fire an unstoppable shot into the top corner from the edge of the box, sealed the points.

"I think we started the game okay in terms of the chances did we create. The real negative of tonight - obviously the result is the important thing - but I think for the decent chances we had in the game, we didn't work Airdrie's goalkeeper nearly enough," McPake reflected.

"We were snatching at them and I think Matty, normally when he's in those areas, he's really good at working goalkeepers. But, again, for him it's fourth game in 11 or 12 days, so he'll be feeling that.

"That's the real disappointing thing, is that we never worked the goalkeeper nearly enough."

Miles Welch-Hayes also came close for the Pars during the opening period. (Image: Craig Brown.)

McPake revealed he told his players to "get the heads up" and to "keep doing what they were doing" at the interval, and said: "Again, if we're being really critical of them, and it's not saying anything we didn't say at half-time, but we did have to work the goalkeeper more.

"We had to make him make saves, and the second half was pretty much the same.

"I don't know if there was many other chances, but Airdrie score their two real chances, although McGill's goal's not a massive chance, it's a really good bit of play from him, a great strike that beats Den.

"But the first goal, we don't do our jobs. We know Nikolay well enough; any ball into the box, he's going to be there or thereabouts on the end of it, and that's an easy one for him. Josh (Edwards) just loses him a little.

"I thought we were decent enough but you've got to be clinical, and clinical doesn't mean scoring every chance you get, but you've got to be working goalkeepers, making them make saves, not making it easy for them, and that's all we asked of them in the second half, to go and do a bit more of that.

"Unfortunately it wasn't our night."

Jakubiak added: "We're obviously disappointed with how the game ended. I don't really know what to say.

"I thought we started off quite bright. To be fair, throughout the game, I thought we created quite a few chances - I had a few myself which I should've done better with.

Alex Jakubiak goes close. (Image: Craig Brown.)

"I think both of the goals are against the run of play. I've not seen the stats or anything, but I think we had more of the possession, and it seemed like we were in control of it more.

"When you perform like that and lose the game it is quite tough to take."