Gary Mason Post Falkirk

"It was a good start for us, one we can hopefully take into the next game.

In front of such a large and loud travelling support Gary Mason was delighted to collect three points from the opening day fixture at Falkirk:-

"It was a good start for us, one we can hopefully take into the next game. The atmosphere was brilliant and we had a great support through. I think sometimes that gives you a lift as well.

"Joe (Cardle) put over a lot of crosses in the first half, I thought he was outstanding. It was a great ball in for the goal and a good header from Pat (Clarke) - that will do him the world of good too to get his first goal. Overall it was a great overall team performance."

The result is at the end of the day all important but it is the performance that had everyone crossing back across the Forth on Saturday having a boost in confidence for the season ahead.

"The boys have done really well from the front to the back and managed to get a clean sheet. It was always going to be a fiercely competitive game until it settled down but even at that both teams played it at a high tempo. Falkirk are a good side so coming here and getting the three points is a big win for us."

Things might have been easier had Andy Kirk's 28th minute penalty not been saved by keeper Bobby Olejnik, Gary agreed that a second goal would have made things feel a little more comfortable:-

"You are always wanting that but it never came. Obviously Kirkie is brave enough that if he gets the opportunity again he will stick it away. Nine times out of ten he will. The keeper saved it and it is just one of those things. It is a team game and we have managed to hang in there because at times they put us under quite a bit of pressure. We handled it excellently at the back.

"We created opportunities ourselves to add two or three and that is obviously pleasing too. Davie Graham has come on and did really well and Steven McDougall was unlucky with his chance. Sometimes these games might not be the prettiest but getting the three points is vital and we managed to do it."

At the end of the 90 minutes Gary said all his team mates were exhausted by their efforts and the heat of the afternoon. A bit different from the cold December day in 2005 when Gary was in the last Dunfermline team to win at the Falkirk Stadium:-

"It was maybe an omen because it is not an easy place to come and leave with three points. We have done that and got the start we wanted. The boys can take a lot of confidence from that but we will not get carried away. We need to take it game by game. These are a big three points for us but we will look forward to the next game."