Manager Post Ayr

10/04/10: JM - "Obviously there is a wee bit of disappointment there but I am really pleased with the standard of play.

Jim McIntyre felt his side dominated the match against Ayr:-

"You are always worried when you don't put your chances away but we were excellent. We moved the ball about well and got into great positions, it was just our shooting boots that weren't on. I don't think five or six would have been unjust. We were really on good form but the finishing touch wasn't there and that can come back to haunt you. Kevin James got in a late header and as that came to him I thought 'here we go again' because that wouldn't be the first time that has happened this season. We got three points and we deserved it."

So would the Manager leave Somerset Park happy or disappointed that his side could only win 2-1?

"Obviously there is a wee bit of disappointment there but I am really pleased with the standard of play. That is the positive we can take from the game; the way we moved it, the link up between the wide men and the full backs and getting players forward was great. We picked a lot of right options today when we got into the wider areas, that was important - that has let us down a few times this season.

"In the first ten or fifteen minutes we put too many balls into the goalkeeper's hands. We spoke about that and tried to isolate one on ones with our wide players who when they are on form are very dangerous."

Macca acknowledged that one of his wide men had a great game but in addition should have made an even bigger impact:-

"He should have had at least a hat-trick, Davie (Graham) knows that himself. He waited on Samson going down and he has got to score on the lay off back from Willie Gibson. He had another couple of chances in the second half as well - he knows that himself - but what he gives to the team is fantastic. He is really dynamic, he can turn a player and leave two or three for dead and that creates space for others. I'd like him to be a wee bit more selfish at times and go more for goal himself. I am pleased and wouldn't use the word disappointed about that performance."

Asked if he was already planning for the next season, the Manager replied:-

"Any manager will be looking to next season from Christmas onwards. You have got to think ahead, you have got to look at boys who are coming out of contract and players from other places. You have constantly got to be thinking ahead. For us from these last four games we said that we just wanted to finish as high up the league as we could. That's us now beaten the points total from last season and now we want to try and finish in second place. That will be hard because the teams above us have an advantage over us."

As a Celtic supporter Macca joked when prompted for a comment about the success for the First Division with Ross County making the Cup Final:-

"All kidding and joking aside that will be a healthy increase to their funds for next season which is not what we are after either. It is a fantastic achievement, to go and beat Celtic at Hampden is a fabulous result, congratulations to them and their manager."

Jim McIntyre brushed aside a supplementary question asking if he would support an increased number of clubs in the upper echelon of Scottish football:-

"I think we have battered that subject to death, it is up to the people with the power whether or not to do that. Any time a First Division team seems to do well that is all they want to say - right can we get this league extended. We will not make the decision - that's the bottom line. Hopefully they will see the sense in it sooner rather than later."

Dunfermline will play Cowdenbeath in the SFL Reserve League Cup on Tuesday night, 13th April with a 7.30pm kick off at Central Park.