Manager Post QOS

02/05/09:- ""We have been excellent away from home and with two home games to go hopefully we can rectify our poor home record with a couple of results at East End Park."

Jim McIntyre was a happy Manager when he talked to the media after the match:-

MATCH PICTURES
"I am very pleased I thought they were really good, passed the ball well, moved it well and were more clinical. We could have been a bit more clinical in the second half. I felt the scoreline could have been a bit more because we had some great chances in the second half.

"To come to Palmerston and go away with a three nil victory, I am delighted. Queen of the South have been flying and I warned the boys that they would be confident in spirit. We have got to try and do as well as we can and finish as far up the league as possible. That was the aim today. "

"We have not a bad record here and it is the best of pitches given the time of year. Especially after losing Steven Bell in the warm up with a calf strain, and young Lee Graham having to be on the bench, Wilson carrying a knee injury, Woods carrying a back injury - we really were stretched today."

It was suggested to him that Dunfermline might be relieved that they have lifted themselves away from the play off spot but Macca turned it around emphasising that he and his players were looking in the other direction:

"Obviously you have to have one eye on that as well but we took care of that."

The result combined with those elsewhere - including that of St Johnstone clinching promotion by beating Morton - meant that Dunfermline moved into third position and can leave the play offs to others.

"We have been excellent away from home and with two home games to go hopefully we can rectify our poor home record with a couple of results at East End Park. We will be doing our utmost to do that."

The Manager praised the player whom he had initially left out of the starting eleven. With Steven Bell sustaining injury in the warm up, Nick Phinn was re-instated in Jim McIntyre's starting eleven. He explained:-

"I have spoken to Nicky, it is his first full season as a regular and I think he has been needing left out for a few weeks. I have not had the luxury of doing that and he has had to keep playing. I felt he had lost his edge and his sharpness, I would have liked to have left him out for a few weeks and then brought him back in. He responded in the right way today.

His play was fantastic, he was nice and bright, sharp, took his goal well and had great link up for the first goal. I was pleased with them all. I thought Burke was very intelligent on the ball and kept it moving. Greg Ross had a steady game, Scott Muirhead - it was nice to see him come in and do ok as well. He put in a good shift and gave us some natural balance on that left side with the two left footers, which was good. All in all I am pleased."

The local media looked for some comment about Alex Burke who had enjoyed a spell at the Dumfries club. Jim McIntyre replied:-

"He is much travelled, what you get with him is a tremendous footballer, he has a very clever brain, and very rarely wastes a pass. He sees things that other players can't."