The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Johnston’s blast for his below-par Pars
DUNFERMLINE: Manager angry as team ships four goals to leaders
AYR UNITED 4 DUNFERMLINE ATHLETIC 1
Allan Johnston laid into his shellshocked players after Dunfermline crashed to a humiliating defeat at Championship new boys Ayr United.
The Pars boss blasted the dismal performance as probably the worst they have played and claimed he had never seen so many have off days.
An Alan Forrest double, a 12th goal of the season from Lawrence Shankland and a late clincher from East End Park old boy Michael Moffat swept Ayr to the top of the league.
Johnston is now demanding an immediate response before Saturday’s visit of Inverness and urged: “We have got to be miles better than that.
“At times we couldn’t pass the ball five yards. We got out-muscled at the goals and Shankland just ran amok.
“For me, he was the difference between the two teams. He bullied our centre-halves and was a constant menace throughout the whole game.
“Moffat also caused us a lot of problems. He’s a good player, he’s intelligent and works incredibly hard for the team.
“The players know themselves that it was nowhere near good enough. They are better than that but, at the end of the day, they have got to show that on the pitch.”
Johnston hooked a clearly unhappy Danny Devine after only half an hour as he reshaped his defence, which was being torn apart by the marauding Shankland.
He explained: “The way we were playing it looked as if Ayr would score a couple more. We didn’t have a grip on the game so we needed to change it to see if it would help.
“In the second-half we were a lot of better but it was too little too late. Our goal was just a consolation.”
Ayr now face an anxious week before the transfer window shuts as they brace themselves for more interest in Shankland, who has already been the subject of a failed bid by Dundee.
However, his strike partner Moffat reckons Shankland – who has scored 41 goals in 41 games – will be going nowhere soon.
He joked: “I think I will take his phone off him and hide it. I’m sure the big man wants to stay as he has said many times that he is enjoying it.
“Why would you not? We’re going well. I’m sure he will get his move come the end of the season and it will be a welldeserved one with a few teams to pick from.”
Ayr raced to a 3-0 interval lead before Jackson Longridge fired under Ross Doohan and ended the on-loan Celtic keeper’s quest for a club record equalling eighth consecutive clean sheet.
The last word, however, fell to Moffat.
At times we couldn’t pass the ball five yards.
ALLAN JOHNSTON