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« on: April 25, 2007, 01:46:05 PM »
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.