Managers post Inverness

Link to audio of both managers post match comments

Allan Johnston felt that, in the wake of a heavy defeat at Ibrox on Wednesday, the resounding victory over Inverness Caley Thistle summed up his players characters. He told the media:-

"Everybody was judging them today to see how they came out and if it was going to affect them. I think they showed the quality that they have got and the belief that they have got to go and win games.

"I am delighted with their performance, I don`t think there were any failures today. It was a really good performance against good players and there were a lot of good goals."

The goals started in the second minute coming from his seventeen year old striker:-

"Callum Smith did excellently, I think he caused them problems all day with his pace and his movement. He is really young but you can see that he is going to be a big player for us with that energy and he showed a bit of composure for the goal as well."

Lee Ashcroft sustained a cut above his left eyebrow at Ibrox, a wound requiring five stitches but that did not prevent him heading in the second Dunfermline goal of the game:-

"He is one we probably criticise for not scoring enough goals. He got up really well for a good header to finish it off. Hopefully that is the start of many more to come.

"You can look at the other goals as well. Joe Cardle in typical Joe Cardle style coming inside and whipping two in the far corner. He is a goal threat and see that he is desperate to do well this year after not having the best of seasons last year. You can see the desire to he has to do well."

David Hopkirk got on the scoresheet for only the second time in a year with a great strike for the Pars fourth goal. His manager continued:-

"I think that will do his confidence the world of good. It was a good performance and scoring a good goal."

Four different scorers n the victory over Inverness suggested that the injured Nicky Clark and suspended Declan McManus were not missed.

"We have good young players coming through. Scott Lochhead came on, Callum Smith playing. You need young boys like that coming through the ranks and putting pressure on the boys who are ahead of them. They just have to continue working as hard as they did there and show that quality as well."

So having scored sixteen goals in the three competitive home matches this season, can Dunfermline keep up that average in excess of five per match? AJ laughed:-

"It would be nice to keep that up but as long as we win and put in that type of performance. I thought Dean Shiels added that bit of composure in the middle of the park. We passed the ball a lot better and he is a good organiser on the pitch. You need that bit of experience as well."

Kallum Higginbotham and Ryan Williamson gave Inverness a real test up the left side of their defence. Allan felt that had been in evidence of of last season as well:-

"They are a really good partnership and I thought in the second half especially they caused them all sorts of problems with Big Ryan`s overlaps and Higgy`s through passes. It was a really good team performance and really hard to pick out individuals."

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