Managers post Buckie

link to audio files of both managers

Allan Johnston felt that the 3-0 Irn Bru Cup win in Buckie was a very comfortable one for his much changed team:-

"By half time we had scored three goals and I think we should probably have scored a lot more in the second half as well. The keeper pulled off a couple of good saves and maybe we weren`t as clinical as we were in the first half.

"I cannot really complain, it was a really professional performance. It didn`t look as though they were going to score. We were really comfortable at the back and at times we were just passing through them at will."

Buckie lamented that despite the making eight changes in the team the Fifers just continued their league form, AJ continued:-

"This is a hard place to come, we know that from last year when they gave us a really competitive game last year. We managed to squeeze through and we knew that we couldn`t take anything for granted. They have a lot of good players but I thought today, with the changes we made, so many changes that the boys came in and did really.

"We controlled the game from start to finish. There was a lot of good performances and it was good to get some of the boys who have not been involved some extra game time. Guys like M`Voto looked solid at the back, you could go right through the whole team there was a lot of good performances and it was good to score goals as well."

One of the Pars three second half substitutions was to bring on keeper Cammy Gill for his senior debut, the manager claimed that the 19 year old had been flying in training and deserved the outing:-

"He is a really good young keeper. It is difficult because Sean Murdoch was player of the year last year and it is going to be really hard to take his place. It was a good opportunity to give Cammy some game time."

Every one of the three goals at Victoria Park came from headers but the manager wasn`t surprised given the quality of crosses during matches:-

"With the strikers we have got we have good movement to accept good balls into the box. We are just delighted to score three goals but we could have scored a few more, that is the only frustration."

Having referenced the Scottish Cup tie last November when the home side chipped in with three in the eight goal feast that afternoon, the gaffer was pleased that this visit was a lot more comfortable:-

"The last time it went to the last minute before we scored the last one. It was a really competitive game whereas I thought we controlled the whole game there. Sometimes in games like that you gat a wee bit slack because it gets a bit too easy at times."

The manager was able to give the day off to two of his players:-

"Jason Talbot and Dean Shiels did not travel up. They have had a couple of wee niggles so there was no point in bringing them up if they are not a hundred percent. They were not going to be on the bench anyway so I am not bringing them all this way to sit in the stand."

Having overnighted with the team in Banff, David Hopkirk was not well when Saturday morning came around and that made the bench one short.

"We can look forward to a good trip home and we have a massive month ahead against top teams. It is good that we got a really convincing result today and it means everybody is pushing for places now."

Looking further afield the manager commented on his two players in Serbia on international duty for the Scotland Under 19 side.

"Stuart Morrison and Callum Smith both played and did really well. It is great for the club when you have young players like that coming through. Obviously Callum takes the headlines by scoring two goals and rightly so.

"We are delighted that they are going in the right direction. It does give me a headache for next week but that is what you are wanting as a manager. You want people who are scoring goals, you can see the competition we have upfront, everybody is scoring goals at the moment."

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