In both of their first two competitive matches of the season a Dunfermline player has left the field with the right to feel aggrieved that he isn’t clutching the match ball.
The Pars followed up their 2-0 win at Bayview with a 5-0 victory over Buckie Thistle at East End Park on Tuesday.
Second-half substitute Nikolay Todorov headed in within a minute of taking to the field and later added a second with a low finish.
An excellent save from Buckie keeper Lee Herbert denied him a hattrick.
That preceded Josh Edwards’ fifth and added to goals from Rhys Breen and Lewis McCann.
🎥 Watch the goals from yesterday's 5-0 win over Buckie Thistle.
Full Highlights Later! 🏁 pic.twitter.com/z8kAC86viE
— Dunfermline Athletic (@officialdafc) July 12, 2022
McCann added to his two from the season opener, where he could have had a third had it not been for East Fife’s Allan Fleming.
Manager James McPake wants his players to be disappointed with such outcomes and challenged his team to be more ruthless.
Who scores ‘doesn’t really matter’
Todorov was slightly disappointed not to have got his hattrick but stressed there are more important things than personal glory.
“I’m just happy that we managed to keep another clean sheet,” he said.
“We’ve only conceded one goal since we started. I know it’s been friendlies and cup games, but it’s just good to gain those habits.”
📸 Goals from @breen_rhys, @lewismccann27, @NNTodorov and @Josh2Edwards_ gave #DAFC a 5-0 win over Buckie Thistle this evening 🏁 pic.twitter.com/viBypzhczE
— Dunfermline Athletic (@officialdafc) July 12, 2022
On Herbert’s save, the Bulgarian added: “It’s a great save from the goalie.
“I thought I was in the right place; I’ve managed to turn the corner, to turn it into the opposite corner, but it was a very good save. That’s what he’s there for.
“Who scores the goals doesn’t really matter.”
Fresh start
Todorov describes as “buzzing” the mood around the club since McPake took over as manager.
Everyone has started with a clean slate, including Todorov after a nightmare start to his Dunfermline career.
The striker signed up last summer, scoring five times by September before finding the net just once more as the side was relegated.
“It was a disaster of a season last season but, in football, it’s the same every week – one game you lose one game, or win,” he added.
“You need to do it all over again on the Monday.
“It was a bad season but nobody really thinks about it, so we need to go and make sure we repair what we did.”
Happy hunting ground
Looking ahead to Saturday’s match versus Ross County, it carries some extra interest for the 25-year-old. “I won my last game there,” said Todorov.
Not only that, he scored in a 3-1 for rivals Inverness.
That was in a Scottish Cup tie in April last year. A similar result on Saturday would put the Pars in the driving seat for qualification from Group C.
“For us, we take it game by game, but we regroup again today and hopefully we can finish what we started up there,” added Todorov.
“Some teams look at the games as a friendly sort of thing. For us, it’s a competitive game.”
“We want to build the momentum, we want to win games, and that’s the mentality of the whole team.”
3 talking points from Dunfermline v Buckie Thistle as Pars make it six from six
Conversation