Losing 1-0 at Elgin City flattered East Fife, says manager Dick Campbell

Recent signing Michael McKenna makes a pass against Elgin City during last Saturday’s 1-0 loss (Pictures by Kenny Mackay)Recent signing Michael McKenna makes a pass against Elgin City during last Saturday’s 1-0 loss (Pictures by Kenny Mackay)
Recent signing Michael McKenna makes a pass against Elgin City during last Saturday’s 1-0 loss (Pictures by Kenny Mackay)
East Fife boss Dick Campbell admits his side simply “didn’t compete all over the pitch” against Elgin City last Saturday afternoon.

That 1-0 defeat at Borough Briggs – thanks to Kyle Girvan’s early opener – ended the Fifers’ six-match winning run and allowed second-placed Peterhead to move one point closer to them at the top of the William Hill League Two table.

And Campbell didn’t pull any punches over his team’s lacklustre display against Allan Hale’s outfit.

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“We never started the game really,” the boss told East Fife TV. “Credit to Elgin. It wasn’t there last kick of the ball but they had to beat us really to stay in frame (for the title) and they did that.

"Losing 1-0 flattered us. We did not compete all over the pitch like we have been doing. “Maybe I am ready to speak to the guys this week and let them know that every team is motivated to play us as the team at the top.

"The goal they got from my perspective was really poor; two of our players could have attacked it but they didn’t.

"The boy took it well but it was too easy from our point of view.

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"I’m an honest guy – we didn’t deserve to get anything out of the game today and I feel sorry for the East Fife people who travelled up here.

"The only thing I have to look forward to tonight is the fact that we are still top of the league.

"Any game you play in you need to earn the right to win and we didn’t do that.”

Campbell started recent signings Kallum Higginbotham and Michael McKenna, and he wasn’t happy with how the team functioned.

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And with a trip to Ainslie Park to face The Spartans this Saturday (3pm kick-off) he says “one or two” changes are necessary.

"I’ve got to sit down and analyse individual performances and then pick the best team,” he added.

“I will need to change one or two things. I don’t think we performed.

“Two new players in the team didn’t work for us, our passing was poor.”

East Fife sit top of the fourth tier table on 45 points, having won 14 of their 23 outings so for this campaign. They’ve drawn just three times while losing out on six occasions.

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