Managers Post Ayr

20/02/10: JM- "We let ourselves down today as a team, and I am included in that because I was poor when I came on as well.

"Poor, very poor" was how Jim McIntyre tried to sum up the performance after the home defeat to Ayr United.

"I thought we started the game well and had a couple of half chances which we never took.  Ayr scored with his first attack through a poor piece of defending on the line from our full back and wide player.

"After that it gave Ayr something to hang on to, we seemed to just get more nervous. We stopped passing the ball and started to go long too often.  We never showed enough bravery in terms of wanting to keep passing the ball, keep moving it and doing what we are good at.

"We need to stand up and be counted when the going gets tough and teams come and make it hard.  We never did that today."

From the kick off in the second half there was grounds for optimism:-

"We were brighter but I thought we started both halves well.  Obviously goals change games and I think our final ball let us down a lot in the second half. We got into good areas but never created."

Were there any positives to take from the game?

"No, that was dire.  That's a game that we have got to be winning and between now and the end of the season will tell me a lot about the players.

"We let ourselves down today as a team, and I am included in that because I was poor when I came on as well.  We are desperately short up front or I wouldn't be coming on.  We did not do enough as a team and never showed enough fight.  We never showed enough courage to keep passing the ball when Ayr were making it difficult for us."

The Manager was unable to give any update on the injury to Nick Phinn's ankle:-

"I have still to speak to the physio."

Jim McIntyre tries to get an overhead connection v Ayr United

Ayr manager Brian Reid felt that his team's first away win of the season was overdue.

"It is not an easy place to come, Dunfermline are one of the better team's in the division and to grind out a result with a clean sheet and have a few chances ourselves, we are delighted.

"We were solid and worked well.  We had a few players come in, we made changes from the other night with fresh legs coming in. We were comfortable most of the game.

"They put us under pressure but we defended well as a team.  We are delighted with the three points that will hopefully that will give us a wee kick on."