HERE’S WHAT YOU COULD HAVE WON
Former Firhill flop Nisbet haunts Jags with four goals and admits he’s grown up
IF there is a way to show a former club what they are missing, four goals against them with your new team will just about do it.
Kevin Nisbet did just that, demonstrating his ability against Partick thistle as Dunfermline romped to a remarkable victory.
however, the striker confessed there was more to his performance than simply cocking a snook at the Jags and their decision to free him following relegation from the Premiership in 2018.
the 22-year-old’s early penalty double, either side of a rare Lewis Martin goal, showed no mercy to a thistle side reduced to ten men following skipper tam O’Ware’s red card just three minutes in.
But Nisbet was willing to dole out some forgiveness after the match when he admitted he was partly to blame for his failure to cut it at Firhill.
‘It feels good,’ he said. ‘I scored one at Firhill the last time and to score four this time is great. It’s one for the doubters.
‘You could say that I wasn’t given a fair crack of the whip there but that was down to me as well. My attitude wasn’t great when I was there. I think I’ve changed now; I’ve matured and it’s good to score four against my old club.
‘I didn’t work hard enough — on and off the field. But I’ve changed that now, I’ve matured, and I think I’ve become a better player.
‘Back then, I was on a two-year deal, I’d just signed an extension, and I just let it pass me by.
‘But joining raith rovers last season was the last-chance saloon and I’ve kicked on from there.’
Nisbet netted 34 times for raith in League One to finish the campaign as the SPFL’s top scorer.
his form tempted Dunfermline to plunder their Fife rivals and reports of rangers, amongst others, tracking his progress in the Championship will be of no surprise to anyone watching this rout.
his task, and that of Dunfermline, was made all the easier by O’Ware’s inexplicable moment of madness in just the fourth minute.
robbed of possession by Greg Kiltie and trailing in his wake as the winger raced into the box, the Jags captain was less than subtle when he pushed the winger over. Nisbet dispatched the penalty as O’Ware headed up the tunnel.
Martin then netted his first goal in nearly five years just six minutes later when he combined with Kiltie before meandering beyond the thistle defence to slot home.
When Nisbet rolled in his second penalty, given after he was clipped by reece Cole, there was barely a quarter of the game gone.
the strike that marked Nisbet’s hat-trick after just half an hour highlighted his predatory instinct.
A headed clearance from the thistle defence fell short and the marksman tamed the ball with one touch before drilling a half volley into the far corner of the net.
his fourth was far simpler, a tap-in from six yards out after ryan Dow’s cross was controlled brilliantly by tom Beadling and returned to Nisbet lurking in the danger area.
‘I’ve never scored four before; last year I struggled to score three,’ he added, before hailing the Pars’ performance in the wake of the previous week’s shock Scottish Cup defeat to Stranraer.
‘the penalties help but it’s a team effort and it’s a great win for the boys after last week. It was great to bounce back with a win.’
Asked about apparent interest from Ibrox, he added: ‘I don’t take any notice of that. For me, it’s just about what I do here. everything else just gets put to one side.’
thistle were a bedraggled bunch after O’Ware’s early dismissal and failed to get to grips with a determined Pars side thereafter.
Manager Ian McCall clearly has his work cut out in lifting the Jags off the bottom of the table but Cole, who scored their second-half consolation, insists they cannot dwell on this result.
‘It doesn’t mean anything when you are 5-0 down,’ he said of his stunning 35-yard free-kick that at least got his side on the scoreboard with 15 minutes left.
‘It’s nice to score a goal, it’s another career goal for me. But when you’re five down it’s not even a consolation. It’s just back to the halfway line and go again.
‘Usually I’d be on the phone to my mum and dad straight away but not this time. It was nice to get a goal but maybe it just came in the wrong game.
‘everyone was disappointed in the dressing room. We let down the fans who travelled to watch us — we apologise to them. But we go again next Saturday.’