James McPake said hard work paid off as Dunfermline sealed the league title with three games to spare.
The Pars have lost only one League One match all season and wrapped up first place, and an automatic return to the Championship, with an emphatic win over Queen of the South.
Goals from Kane Ritchie-Hosler, Matty Todd, Kevin O’Hara and a double from Craig Wighton put the gloss on a terrific campaign.
Things you love to see 😍 pic.twitter.com/JaxbFC5Dey
— Dunfermline Athletic (@officialdafc) April 15, 2023
One man singled out for praise by the manager was his assistant, who the club moved quickly to get in following the appointment of McPake in the summer.
Assitant ‘pivotal’
“The club were very quick to act on that and get Dave out of Dundee,” he said.
“That was pivotal in what we were trying to do, and the players that came in.
“I’d love to sound like a genius and say we did this, we did that, to turn their confidence around, but we just worked hard.
“It’s as simple as that.
“I genuinely do mean that. We got them in, we worked hard, it was a clean slate for everyone.
” I knew a lot of the players, they were a good group, and we believe in what we do as a coaching staff or a management team.
“We believe in what we do. You hope, it’s probably that – you hope the players believe in what you do and follow what you’re doing.
“We were very lucky with the group we got. We added some key additions in Kyle Benedictus, Chris Hamilton, and then some loan players that came in.”
Hard work pays off
The Dunfermline boss said that made his job easy and what followed was a run of 33 league matches – and counting – in which they have suffered just one defeat.
Even in preseason there were signs that something was clicking, losing just once – to Premiership Kilmarnock.
“The way we do it is very demanding, but they kept doing it,” he added.
“I think we won all our friendlies apart from Kilmarnock as well, so we went in with a standard that we wanted to start winning games – because that was lost the season before.
🆕WATCH: Dunfermline skipper Kyle Benedictus 'buzzing' after Pars seal League One title
🗣️"Inside the club, inside the dressing room, that was our main goal from the start of the season – without bumping our gums like other teams have this season."https://t.co/xQy7CgzHkM pic.twitter.com/TpK5O9TP5R
— Craig Cairns (@craigcairns001) April 15, 2023
“We did that, and it’s ended, seven or eight months later with a league winner’s medal for every single player in there.
“So we’re delighted.”
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