Chris Hamilton urges Dunfermline to ‘stick together’ after home humbling at the hands of Morton

The Pars were soundly beaten at East End Park on Saturday and now face two crunch matches.

By Craig Cairns

February 4 2024, 10:30pm

Chris Hamilton suffered a concussion in Dunfermline's win over Arbroath last month. Image; SNS.

Stick together. That was the main message from Chris Hamilton after Dunfermline’s 5-0 defeat at home to Morton.

And the Pars vice-captain, skippering the side in the continued absence of Kyle Benedictus, backs the character of the squad to turn things around.

Dunfermline started poorly on Saturday and never recovered, playing themselves into danger and showing vulnerability at Morton set-pieces.

There were flickers of hope but nothing sustained and Morton were well worthy of their five-goal win.

Morton put five goals past Dunfermline at East End Park. Image: Craig Brown/DAFC.

The defeat leaves Dunfermline third from bottom in the Scottish Championship with the next two fixtures against the two sides below them, both at East End Park.

Hamilton summed up the feeling after Saturday’s defeat: “Disappointment, anger, frustration.

“We want to stick together and of course we will stick together but we need to start that understanding performances like that aren’t acceptable.

Chris Hamilton: We need to do better

“Defending our box like that isn’t good enough and there are obviously a lot of frustrated boys in there. Come Monday we get back together and focus on the next match.

“The manager will probably try and take the blame off us but I think as a group we need to be better than that.

“We know that it is us on the pitch at the end of the day.”

The defeat was Dunfermline’s worst home defeat since Hamilton Accies left East End Park with the same scoreline back in 2007.

The Pars players had been warned in the build-up of what to expect from Morton and how effective they are with balls into the box, especially set-pieces.

Chris Hamilton in action for Dunfermline Athletic. Image: SNS. — Dunfermline vice-captain Chris Hamilton has deputised in defence. Image: SNS.

Hamilton, who started Saturday in a more natural midfield position before returning to defence, said the onus was on the players to turn things around.

“We knew what they are good at, we knew how to stop it and we knew what they wanted to do,” he said.

“Then we go on the pitch and play into their hands. It is frustrating for him at the side to watch, frustrating for the fans.

“It is a young group, I understand that but as experienced ones, we need to be better on the pitch at managing the game. On Saturday, I think that let us down.”