Kenny on brink of rare cup double
Dunfermline manager Stephen Kenny has played down the possibility of leading teams to cup wins in Scotland and Ireland in the same season.
"I'm just delighted for the players," said Kenny, who lifted the FAI Cup with Derry City, after the 1-0 Scottish Cup semi-final defeat of Hibernian.
"It is really remarkable how it has gone for us in the cup and I thought we deserved our victory.
"Hibs were tremendous, but we showed real guts and kept the ball well."
Dunfermline director of football Jim Leishman missed the game after a family bereavement.
And Kenny said: "Jim wasn't at the game because his younger sister died today and I want to dedicate the win to her memory." This club could be really influential in the Premier League if we can stay up
Stephen Kenny
Kenny also paid tribute to his side for overcoming John Collins' side.
"It was a tremendous performance from the players, they were relentless," he said.
"Hibs are just so difficult to play against because they interchange positions and they're tactically very astute. We just held in there.
"Dorus de Vries was tremendous in goal and the back four got some unbelievable clearances off the line.
"We had a few chances ourselves that we didn't take. When you play Hearts, Hibs, Rangers and Partick Thistle and you're in the final, that's earning the right to be in the final."
Dunfermline will face Celtic in the 26 May final and also go into the qualifying rounds of the Uefa Cup.
But they face a battle to lift themselves off the bottom of the Scottish Premier League.
"We are in Europe and want to do well there, so we really need to stay in the Premier League," he said.
"This club could be really influential in the Premier League if we can stay up."
The Pars must again overcome the odds to beat the newly-crowned Scottish champions in the final.
"They are an absolutely outstanding team, have reached the last 16 of the Champions League and had a magnificent double championship," said Kenny.
"But there's no point in enterting a competition if you don't think you can win it and it is not beyond us.
The lad has to be commended on a great achievement, with the next game against St. Mirren he might even keep them up.
Fair play to the man, he knows how to handle Cup runs!
His record in Cup competitions with Derry was outstanding, and didn't he do the same with longford?
Sorely missed at the Brandywell these days!
I was at a dunfermline match on boxing day and they were calling for his head, he had only been there three weeks. Slowly but surely he has turned them round however St Mirrens win on Monday may have sunk them in the SPL. 4 points behind with 4 games left is a big ask although the two teams meet again beore the end of the season. If they go down I think they will bounce right back as the gap between the prem and div1 is quite large
You know, I'd like to see Dunfermline win this one. What a year it would be for Kenny. The man breeds success where-ever he goes.
I really hope Stephen Kenny manages to keep the Pars up.
Wouldn't be devastated to see the Pars winning the Cup either. Anyway he will be back in Europe next season now no matter what happens and good luck to him
Quote from: ExiledGael on April 25, 2007, 11:09:36 PM
Wouldn't be devastated to see the Pars winning the Cup either. Anyway he will be back in Europe next season now no matter what happens and good luck to him
Nah keeping them up will do, cup is heading home to Paradise. 8)
I've a lot of time for Stephen Kenny but wanting him to beat Celtic in the Cup Final would be pushing it too far for me!
It would be great to see him keep Dunfermline up though, something that looked impossible not so long ago.
His Cup results have been amazing with a team struggling every week in the League.
Ah come on Celtic have won enough ;) I would love to see Dunfermline win the Cup what a story it would be
Quote from: The Real Laoislad on April 25, 2007, 11:16:56 PM
Ah come on Celtic have won enough ;) I would love to see Dunfermline win the Cup what a story it would be
Yeah maybe your right, heh just a thought, why not let Chelsea win the CL they've never won it you know, what a story that would be!!!
Quote from: Gaoth Dobhair Abu on April 25, 2007, 11:30:52 PM
Quote from: The Real Laoislad on April 25, 2007, 11:16:56 PM
Ah come on Celtic have won enough ;) I would love to see Dunfermline win the Cup what a story it would be
Yeah maybe your right, heh just a thought, why not let Chelsea win the CL they've never won it you know, what a story that would be!!!
:D
Fair play to Kenny, Dunfermline beat second bottom St Mirren tonight to leave them just one point from safety with three games each to play (just bottom club go down).
He's obviously a talented man manager and I hope he keeps them up, if only to give the Irish press someone else to talk about rather than Roy Keane