Managers Post Morton

22/11/08: Comments from Jim McIntyre and Davie Irons

Dunfermline Manager Jim McIntyre acknowledged that the defeat to Davie Irons Morton team was a sore one to take while admitting the Pars performance was a poor one.

"We got what we deserved. Morton were the better side, they deserved to win the game. You just can't have six or seven players off it and expect to win a football match. It's as simple as that."

The win lose win lose sequence is the kind of form that might have managers pulling out their hair.

"I said in comments to the press earlier this week that we were steady without being spectacular. We just cannot seem to get that winning combination week in week out but we will keep working hard on the training ground and try to do that."

Stephen Glass found the net in 54th minute but Referee Mike McCurry had blown it up before the ball had crossed the line.

"I would need to look at it again on the video. I didn't think that there was much in it. It wasn't a hand ball, I think he said it was a push but I don't know. Take that out of the equation, we didn't merit a win today, Morton did.

"We have coped with injuries before but on the day we just didn't play. I am not going to use any excuses, the better side won."

Former Pars Davie Irons threatened his East End popularity by letting his Morton side take all three points. In producing a run of four wins in the last five games he has successfully negotiated losing players becoming fathers.

Allan Jenkins was handed the honour of the arm band in tribute to his wife giving birth this week and Stewart Greachen was absented from the Dunfermline match since his wife was ready to produce.

"You go into management and you think all you need to deal with is football but you have to deal with pregnant women - not me personally - " he joked.

"It's amazing what you have to deal with. You do your coaching badges but you don't get, how do you deal with not having a centre half because the wife is due any minute. Fingers cross everything's well.

"From a football perspective I thought we played some really good stuff. Second half we had to dig in a bit. We have had chances, some even better in the second half but Kevin Cuthbert dealt with everything he had to deal with. The boys in front of him dealt with virtually 99% of what Dunfermline had to offer."

Based on what he saw at Livingston last Saturday when his side were without a fixture because of the Alba Challenge Cup Final between Airdrie United and Ross County, Irons knew that his side would have to dig in for the second half.

"We expected a bit of an onslaught because Dunfermline are a good side but the boys showed real character to get the result that I think they deserved."

The change around from propping up the league table has coming from hard work claimed Irons:-

"The biggest win was the first one. We had gone through eight or nine games without getting a victory. Even during that time we deserved to get victories but we didn't. Pressure started to mount and the boys were getting a bit nervous at games but we got that first win five games ago and really kicked on.

"We have shown a real belief. We have got real strong characters now. We have gone through a real tough time and bounced back. They know what it's like and they don't want to go back there again. Hopefully they have learned their lessons from that poor start we had in August and September."

Davie Irons was not concerned when he saw Stephen Glass hit the target since he had heard the referee's whistle first.

"He finished it well but I knew the whistle had gone. Stress levels weren't too high at that point.

"The target is just to keep it going. I have said all along that there is not an outstanding team in this league - I am not for a minute saying where we will end up - but anybody can beat anybody in this league. If you can put a run of games together you can really change the whole complex of your season. Four or five weeks ago we were rock bottom and adrift. Now we are third bottom with a chance to get in touch with another couple of teams, we will just focus on that now."