Andy Kirk Post Hibs

"It is a small squad and if we can keep everybody fit with a wee bit of luck, we have enough talent here to achieve good things."

Andy Kirk felt that it was nice to get the first game of pre season out of the way.  For the striker it was his first  return to action since sustaining injury on Tuesday 9th March at Airdrie:

"It's what the boys have been working hard for in training for a couple of weeks.. It seems like a long time; it was March when I got injured.  The boy caught be over the ball and twisted my ankle. It was a nasty one at the time and niggled me towards the end of the season. Gerry the physio has got me sorted and its alright now.  By the time I got the ankle right I could only train for the last couple of days of the season.  Obviously your fitness levels drop and you are nowhere near ready for the game."

A frustrating end to the season for the Irishman but he had just to get himself right for pre season, get through that and he now aims to stay fit and clear of injury. Hibs were a severe test:-

"Match fitness is a totally different kind of fitness from what we do when we first come back.  I was upfront on my own for the time I was on and it was hard to get involved in the game.  It was a wee bit frustrating but Hibs are a good side, they pass the ball well and we can just take the fitness that we get out of it.  We were doing a bit more running after the ball than we were used to.

"That was their third game and they are good players from a league above us. They showed us today the kind of levels we need to play to.

So what did Andy feel that the 2010-11 season holds for him and his Dunfermline team mates?

"We have as good a chance as anybody to push for promotion.  That is what the aim has got to be for everybody involved in the club and we look forward to the season starting. We hope that we can get that we bit of luck that we didn't have last season with regards to injuries."

The Pars starting eleven on Saturday was very unusual for an opening game at Dunfermline in as much as every one of the fifteen players to feature were at Dunfermline last season. This was no surprise to Andy who has seen Alex Keddie and Kyle Allison join the Pars. Only last week, keeper Chris Smith who was on loan from St Mirren at the end of the previous season also made his move to Dunfermline permanent.  Andy observed:-

"Over the last couple of years the Manager has been trying to get his own players in; his own type of players, players he likes. It is a small squad and if we can keep everybody fit, with a wee bit of luck, we have enough talent here to achieve good things."

Post match Jim McIntyre told the website that he would have room for just one further addition to his squad and everyone expects that to be a replacement for striker Graham Bayne who has been forced to quit Dunfermline through injury.  Andy speculated:-

"It possibly could be a striker to play alongside me.  It was bad news for Graham with his injury and it is disheartening for your mates maybe having to step out of football for a while. Maybe the Manager will bring in another striker and if it is then I would hope to form a good relationship with him."

Time will not wait for Bayne    Dunfermline 0 Hibs 4