Todd: “We have to stay grounded”

Dunfermline Athletic players celebrate a goal against Greenock Morton. Photo: Craig Brown / DAFC

Matty Todd enjoyed a standout performance on Saturday for Dunfermline Athletic against Greenock Morton, with a goal and an assist helping the team to a 3-1 victory over a fellow playoff challenger.

Despite going behind to a Cameron Blues strike against the run of play in the first half, goals from Andy Tod (sat up by Todd) and Kieran Ngwenya saw the hosts come from behind to lead, and Todd’s strike wrapped up the win in the 65^th minute.

“It was a good feeling to score when I did”, Todd reflected after the match. “We felt we were on top in the first half, and we managed to get the early goal in the second half and kicked on from there.

“It was a big win for us – we knew what we needed to do at the start of the game, so we’re delighted with the performance.”

 

Even though Dunfermline are in their best run of form of the season so far, under experienced manager Neil Lennon, Todd emphasised the importance of staying focused in such an important time of the season.

“We’ve got a lot to play for still, with the playoffs and the trip to Hampden [in the Scottish Cup semi-final against Falkirk”, the 24-year-old stressed. “But we need to stay grounded at the moment, we’ve got some big games to play for.”

Todd also praised the reaction from Pars boss Neil Lennon at full-time, as the Fifers made it seven matches unbeaten and are now in pole position to finish inside the playoff places.

“He just said ‘stay on your levels’”, Todd emphasised. “We know we’ve got a big run-in coming up, we’ve got a massive game on Tuesday against Ayr, which we all need to recover for and go again – we need the same levels of commitment.

“We’ve got a good group of boys, and I’m sure that we will be ready.”

Those sentiments were echoed by Charlie Gilmour, with the Englishman also impressing alongside Alfons Amade in the middle of the park.

“Every game’s important”, the Arsenal academy graduate exclaimed. “It’s a tough league, so we will be ready to get three points in any match we play.

“I came here to get promoted with Dunfermline, and the momentum is good at the moment. When it comes to the playoffs, it’s all about who wants it more – but we will be ready.”

 

On the other side of the scale, Morton captain Jackson Longridge, playing his first 90 minutes since returning from injury, believed that the goals his team conceded were “poor”.

“Conceding a goal that early into the second half is poor from us”, the 30-year-old reflected. “I thought in the first half we matched them – they’re a good team and I thought our shape was really good, but we were disjointed in the second half.

“They got that quick goal, then another goal and it gives them a lift and we were rocked by that.”

In such a crucial point of the season for every team, Longridge believes that Morton need to pick up as many points as possible to still challenge for those playoff positions.

“It’s all about getting points on the board”, he stated. “We want to try and create a gap between us and the bottom, grinding out as many points as possible from the next four games.”