The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
New Pars striker turned down Premiership approaches
Patience pays off for Dunfermline boss with Clark signing
Dunfermline manager Allan Johnston has revealed Nicky Clark turned down Scottish Premiership clubs to join the Pars on a two-year deal.
Former Rangers striker Clark made a return north of the border with the Fife outfit on transfer deadline day after just two months at Bury.
Top flight teams were also keen to recruit the 25-year-old but Clark decided on a reunion with Johnston, whom he worked under at Queen of the South, and dad Sandy Clark at East End Park.
Johnston, who is set to hand Clark a debut in today’s Irn-Bru Cup third round trip to Brechin City, said: “There weren’t many quality strikers about and we were just trying to be patient until one came up.
“We got Nicky, so we’re delighted. When the chance came up to bring him in, other clubs were interested as well.
“There were Premiership teams and Bury were wanting him to go to another club in England because there was interest down there too.
“We’re absolutely delighted that he wanted to come to us, especially when there was interest from the Premiership.
“He’s a quality striker, even in training on his first day he scored a few goals.
“That’s what you expect from Nicky, he’s one of those players that’s in the right place at the right time and he wants to do well.
“We want to attract young players that are hungry and want to push on to bigger and better things.
“It obviously helps when you’ve got Sandy giving him a wee push as well!”
Clark joins a Pars attack that already includes former Doonhamers strike partner Gavin Reilly, and Michael Moffatt.
Johnston added: “His movement is maybe different to what I’ve got already, even in training you see his movement to get on the end of the ball. It puts pressure on everyone to do well.”
Brechin boss Darren Dods knows the club’s proud home record will come under fierce pressure this afternoon when they go toe to toe against the last side to beat them at the Glebe.
That defeat came away back on February 20 with the Pars winning 2-1, the third of their four victories over the Angus club last season.
However, Dods has firm reasons for optimism ahead of today’s tie with his team unbeaten in five games with another morale-boosting win last week at East Fife.
Now, he is determined to extend that sequence of results and keep their home record intact.
Dods said: “It is certainly a big change from this time last year. We are now five games unbeaten and we picked up another fantastic result last week.
“The lads are full of confidence at the moment but we know we are in for a really tough game against a Dunfermline side that’s now playing in the Championship.
“Allan Johnston has added to what was already a good squad this summer with the likes of Kallum Higginbotham, who I know from my time at Falkirk, and just this week he brought in Nicky Clark who did well at Queen of the South and Rangers along with John Herron on loan from Blackpool.
“Dunfermline were actually the last side to beat us at home but we have been doing well at the Glebe and the lads are determined that will continue.”
Brechin will be without the injured Alan Trouten while Chris O’Neil is rated no better than 50-50.