Greg Shields Post Hearts

"When you play these teams, they can turn it on anytime they want. You were at their beck and call today. I feared the worst after five minutes when they got the first goal.

"As the Manager says if you look at every single goal we lost, they were all silly goals. That has been the story of our season."

Despondent Greg did not take much heart from the fact that Dunfermline conceded only one goal in the final 65 minutes of the match at Tynecastle:-

"You could say that was credit to us but at the end of the day you just feel they can turn the screw anytime. They have a lot of good players, they are a good side and they are up there with the Old Firm. They are one of the best sides.

"The last four games that we played showed out there today because we weren't at the races to be honest. We looked heavy legged. I am maybe looking at it from a personal point of view; I didn't have a good game, I never have a good game when I come to Tynecastle.

"It was a hard one to watch, especially for the fans. You could see their disappointment coming off at half time. They booed us and rightly so. We weren't winning tackles when the ball was there to be won. Bartosz got booked today, Greg Ross was sent off. I don't know if it was a sending off; I am quite controversial with my comments so I don't want to say anymore."

Now attention turns to the remaining five matches of this SPL season. Falkirk away, Livingston at home then two further away games at Motherwell and Tannadice before ending the season against Inverness Caley Thistle at East End Park on Saturday 6th May. Last season it was the penultimate match of the season at Tannadice that proved to be decisive but Greg wants the Pars SPL status to be safe long before a similar fixture in Dundee this season:-

"Two or three months ago had you said we would have been eight points ahead with a big goal difference ahead of Livingston we would have been happy with that given the position we are in. It's down to us. We are away to Falkirk next week so we can win there and it will be a big game for both teams. A win for either of us will more or less secure. We know what we have to do, probably so do Falkirk. The week after that it is Livingston.

"We can win every game but a lot of other teams will be thinking that as well with the games that they have got. It is only us who can throw it away. We have done quite well since the turn of the year but the last four matches have been hard. With Celtic, Rangers, a derby v Falkirk and then Hearts. Next week's derby will be another big game."

It is important that Dunfermline win at Falkirk, a Falkirk win would put them a minimum of ten points ahead of Livi with four matches remaining. That would put enormous pressure on both Dunfermline and Livingston for their clash at East End Park on 22nd April. If Livingston were to take their winning form over Caley Thistle on Saturday to Dundee United next weekend then they could arrive in Fife just five points behind. Greg has his sights set on resolving matters quickly:-

"Livingston need three wins in five. If we can win next week then we can put Livingston down the next week. That would be the ideal situation." The task is not made any easier with the steadily declining squad available to the management, Greg agreed:-

"It is not getting any easier and other team squads are getting stronger and stronger whereas we are just getting weaker and weaker. If you look at the midfield we had at the beginning of the season, none of them are there. It does affect us. OK we have myself, Andy Tod, Scott Wilson, Scott Thomson and Aaron Labonte has come in and done reasonably well at right back but we miss Gary Mason, Darren Young and Lee Makel. That is what squads are for. Leish signed four players in the winter shutdown. He made four good signings and got some squad players as well. Scott Muirhead has come in and done really well but we just have not played for four weeks. It is becoming a habit getting beat. That is one draw in four games, we have to get out of that quick, hopefully next week."