Dunfermline keeper Iain Turner is determined to be the hero and not the villain of the piece when the Pars face Kilmarnock tonight.
The on-loan Preston stopper became the latest victim of what has become the East End Park keeper’s curse a fortnight ago in Aberdeen.
Turner came off his line to catch a long ball but misjudged it and was left stranded in no-man’s land as Scott Vernon sent a looping header over his head and into the back of the net for what proved to be the only goal of the game.
However, he has put that error to the back of his mind and is fully focused on keeping a clean sheet against Killie to help lift the Pars off the bottom of the SPL table.
He said: ”I’ve not been entirely pleased with how I’ve done since I came here a few weeks ago. I’ve started a wee bit slowly but, having played a few games, I’m finding my feet and looking forward to the next game.
”Everyone’s different. Some people hit the ground running, and others take a few games. But I have complete belief in my own ability and I’m looking forward to starting to produce.
”Anything that goes in can be questioned. That’s just the way football is. It’s part of the job and I need to accept that.
”Being a goalkeeper is all about decision making and sometimes you get it right, and sometimes you don’t. The only thing I can do is look forward to trying to keep a clean sheet in the next game.”
He added: ”Football changes very quickly. You can be the hero or the villain and all it takes is one second and that’s why people love the game.
”The boys have complete belief we can get out of the position we are in. There are good footballers in this team and we all know it, so if we can start producing and cutting out the little mistakes we’ve every chance of moving up.”
Pars boss Jim McIntyre signed Jordan McMillan from Rangers last week and also brought Kyle Hutton in on loan from the Ibrox side and Turner admitted he has been impressed by the duo in training so far.
He said: ”Jordan at right back and Kyle, who has been playing through the middle, are both very good footballers and I’m looking forward to playing with them.”
Dunfermline beat Killie 3-0 in the league last month at Rugby Park but McIntyre is taking nothing for granted tonight.
He said: ”They are a good side, with good players and they have added to the squad in the window as well. So it will be a difficult game. Although we won well down at Kilmarnock recently, no two games are the same.”
The Pars players know that a win tonight will lift them off the bottom of the table above Hibs and when asked if that would give his squad a big psychological boost, McIntyre replied: ”Of course it would. There’s no hiding from the fact that it’s a chance to move off the bottom and that’s exactly what we will look to do.”
Photo by Adam Davy/PA Wire