Dyer disappointed that Livi won’t delay game
KILMARNOCK V DUNFERMLINE
ALEX DYER claims Livingston refused to delay their Premiership clash with Kilmarnock on Saturday. The Ayrshire club’s firstteam squad was advised to self- isolate following six positive Covid- 19 tests, with their match against Motherwell earlier in the month postponed.
The Rugby Park outfit then had to forfeit last week’s Betfred Cup Group E opener against Falkirk after Dyer refused to play a team of youth players.
The Killie manager has five senior outfield players and a goalkeeper available for the home Betfred Cup tie against Dunfermline tonight, with the rest of his missing players making their way back for the weekend and the trip to Livingston.
Dyer said: “I asked if we could have the game put back two or three days. That was a no.
“So we sent an email to the league and they said Livi didn’t want to respond again so we have to play the game.
“It’s not great because we’re all here to help one another.
“We’re going through a situation in the whole of the country, not just in football.
“It’s a pandemic. So I am asking for a little bit of fairness so my players can come back and make sure they’re right for the game.
“But that’s not the case, we have to play the game long as I’ve got 13 fit players.
“It is disappointing because it would be fair for someone to
give us a little bit more time, because it could happen to any football club.
“It could happen to anyone in society so why wouldn’t it happen to any football club? And then, like I said, people should help one another.
“But it is not to be, we move on and we have to play the game and if I have enough fit bodies then I will do that, not a problem.”
Dyer is also disgruntled about the investigation launched by the SPFL following the direction to the Killie squad to self- isolate.
He said: “I don’t think there should be an investigation. We’ve done the right things and we’ve followed all the guidelines.
“If they find something I don’t know about then I don’t know.
“We got good backroom staff, the doctor has been excellent, we have been given the right protocols to follow and to do the right things. There’s nothing more we can do.”
Question marks hang over what kind of Kilmarnock team Dom Thomas will face on his return to his old club – but he is convinced Dunfermline have the quality to get a win no matter what.
With no supporters in the stands and an unfamiliar line- up on the pitch, it will be an unusual trip back to Rugby Park for Thomas.
But the on- form winger, who racked up two pinpoint assists in the Fifers’ 2- 0 victory over Falkirk on Friday night, will still relish the challenge of taking on his former employers.
He said: “I don’t really know what the situation is just now with Kilmarnock.
“We will prepare for the game and the manager has told us that we will treat it as any other game, albeit there has been a bit of uncertainty about it. We are looking to go and get another three points – ultimately we want to win this group.
“I had good times at Kilmarnock but I treat every game as the same. We will set out to go and win that game, put on another good performance.
“I think if we can keep clean sheets this season, with the attacking presence that we have got, we will win the majority of games.”
I asked if we could have the game put back