Byrne's not given up on Pars finishing third

DEREK MCCALLUM

DUNFERMLINE‘S Richie Byrne insists Hearts will still need to watch their backs despite consolidating their nine-point lead thanks to the 0-0 draw at East End Park.

Most Fife fans would concede the blank scoreline has ended Jimmy Calderwood’s side’s prospects of overtaking the Jambos in the race for third spot in the SPL.

However, the young Irishman who made his first home start insists the Old Firm factor can favour the Fifers in the final run-in.

He said: "I think the gap can still be closed. Everyone has still to play Rangers and Celtic so there are a lot of possibilities for us all to lose points and for us to gain them as well.

"Every team in the league is capable of beating everyone else so although the nine points looks a lot we can still catch them if we find a good run of form."

Byrne admitted however he was impressed with Craig Levein’s tactics that made it a baptism of fire in his first home start.

Despite their solid showing the youngster insisted the Tynecastle men needed a touch of luck to keep their goal intact.

He added: "The lads are pretty disappointed because it would have been really positive for us if we had taken the three points but I think they were happy with the draw.

"All in all it was a decent performance and we had a couple of chances that if they’d gone in we’d probably have held out and won.

"They had a defensive formation and their wingers didn’t push forward.

"They closed up half of the pitch and the one or two times we did get around them we produced chances.

"If Greg Shields’ strike that hit the post had gone in I think we would have gone on to win the game but in the end they ground out a result.

"There’s always a bit of luck involved but you make your own luck in football. I thought Hearts played pretty well at the back and hustled very well to make it difficult to get an early pass."

Byrne was given the task of putting the shackles on Hearts’ Canadian internationalist Kevin McKenna.

And he found the big utility player a handful but the youngster earned more than pass marks for ensuring McKenna had a fruitless trip to Fife.

Byrne was booked late on for a reckless challenge on the big Canadian, but he believes he was unlucky to be shown the yellow card and was withdrawn moments later by boss Calderwood.

The Pars starlet was caught off guard only once in the first half when McKenna dispossessed him to send in a low shot on target.

"I thought I had a reasonable performance although I started getting a little tired in the second half and that’s why I was taken off.

"I’m still getting used to the style of play in Scotland. McKenna is a decent player. I didn’t realise how much pace he had. It was a tough game I had against him, he is a big lad and was winning a lot of headers, but I don’t think there were many times he got past me and I was happy with that.

"I was dilly-dallying on the ball in the first half and he took it off me, I wasn’t happy about it and I don’t think the lads were happy either but luckily his shot went wide and I was really relieved.

"I think it was Scott Wilson who got a touch and that saved my embarrassment."

Taken from the Scotsman