The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Keena desperate to nail down first-team jersey
Dunfermline starlet Aidan Keena insists he is not ready to give up his jersey without a fight after bagging a brace in a man of the match display against Inverness.
The 19-year-old, who is on a seasonlong loan from Hearts, marked his first start in the Championship in sensational style, notching both goals in a breathless 2-2 draw at the home of the Caley Jags.
His second strike will live long in the memory, with the Irish marksman picking the ball up 35 yards out and thundering a magnificent drive beyond Mark Ridgers.
“I’ve had a few like that before, to be fair. I wouldn’t say they are ‘easier’, but you don’t need to over think it – you just touch it out of your feet and have a go,” he said.
“Thankfully this one found the top-corner. It was good to get the early goal and it settled my nerves, as I hadn’t played a senior game in a while and it’s a higher level than what I would be used to. “
Keena, who scored eight goals in 15 starts during a loan spell with Queen’s Park last term, has been forced to be patient this term.
He joined the Pars – who visit secondbottom Alloa on Saturday – at the end of August but was unable to immediately link up with his new team-mates as he recovered from a hernia operation.
However, he is desperate to make up for lost time and – as Keena seeks to catch the eye of Hearts boss Craig Levein – he has already made a name for himself with one Tynecastle icon, Inverness gaffer John Robertson.
“If he [Robertson] was worrying about stopping me then that’s a brilliant compliment in itself – he’s a Hearts legend,” added Keena.
“It’s great if I can make a good impact against someone like that.
“I had a wee chat with him afterwards and he knows my name, anyway!”