Andy Kirk Post Morton

Last season's top goalscorer opened this term's account at Cappielow

After 15 league goals last season for Dunfermline Andy Kirk was pleased to score his first goal of the new league season at Greenock on Saturday:-

"It was great to see it going in. I saw it bounce and took a little bit of time to go in with the wind. I am delighted and the boys are delighted as well with the result."

There should have been another goal for Andy just before half time but Referee Willie Collum deemed that Andy had impeded Morton's rookie keeper, Ryan McWilliams:-

"The referee seemed to give the keeper so much protection that was not normal. Later on in the second half he gave a free kick against Graham Bayne on the keeper on the touchline which was ridiculous to be honest. The first one was just a swirly ball into the box, I watched the ball the whole way and the keeper actually jumped into me. I don't know why; I don't know if it was the linesman or the referee gave it but to me it shouldn't have been a free kick.

"The Manager said to us before the game that we were up against a young keeper and told us to be looking to test him and find out what he is made of. It would be the same if we had a young keeper in goals, they'd be looking to do the same."

Andy praised Joe Cardle's 79th minute goal calling it "magnificent":-

"Wee Joe has great ability and he is capable of doing that. He scores goals like that in training and we were all delighted for his first goal for the club. What a goal it was.

"You always get a tough game here, they are a big strong side. They have good players as well, they are not just a physical team, they are capable of passing the ball and cutting you open. With a bit of luck they might have got a goal or two on Saturday but it was our day, we played well and deserved the win.

"This year we have got wingers. Last year we suffered with injuries and didn't have an awful lot of width in the team. Options were straight through the middle and it is hard for me and Graham to play that at times. This year the wide players give us options and with the nucleus of the good team that we had last year, we will work hard in training to improve and get the results that we need."

Four home games follow for Andy Kirk and his team mates but of course home form was the problem last season:-

"We have got to look to improving that, it was embarrassing to say the least from our point of view given the amount of wins we should have had at home. We are going to try and put that right this year. If we can find the away form that we had last season as well then we could give ourselves an opportunity."

Reversal of the form that brought only 5 league wins out of 18 fixtures would be really welcome to the loyal Dunfermline home support. Andy hopes that the defeat in the first match against Inverness Caley Thistle will not be a regular occurrence:-

"Supporters have the right to complain but when they see us working hard, trying to create and trying to do things the right way - anyone who was at the game last week would have known that we deserved to win that game, sometimes football is cruel. They clapped us off the pitch because they knew that we had to put in a good performance and that we were just unfortunate on the day."