Andy Kirk Post Stirling

Hat-trick hero reaches tally of 11 for season:- "If I can hit the right areas then hopefully I can keep putting the ball in the net."

Andy Kirk has notched the amazing tally of 11 goals from eight games and it is still not even the end of August. He had a broad smile on his face after his hat-trick against Stirling when he reflected upon his feat.

"It has been a great start for me on the goalscoring side of it so long may it continue for me. In my first season down in England when I left Hearts I scored 29; that was possibly my best season."

That was while Andy was playing for Boston United and Northampton Town and remarkably he didn't even start his season until 18th September because he was out following a hernia operation.

"That was probably my best season" claimed Andy and it didn't go unnoticed as he won international caps for Northern Ireland against Canada, England and Germany."

Andy Kirk's starter for three at Stirling

The Pars striker who joined from Yeovil Town in July 2008 has set himself his own personal target for the season and although he won't disclose what that is he might well be re-assessing that figure given his early season success.

"I never tell anybody I keep that to myself but if I can keep scoring the way I am I will be on target to hit it.  As a striker you have to be getting well into double figures but I have always set myself quite high targets because I believe with a wee bit of luck I can hit them.

"The difference I have noticed compared to the season when I first signed, there have been a lot more chances created and you can see that the players we have are capable of beating somebody and putting a good ball into the box. If I can hit the right areas then hopefully I can keep putting the ball in the net."

Despite his hat-trick at Forthbank Andy was magnanimous enough to acknowledge that Willie Gibson was still the Pars Man of the Match.

"I didn't have the greatest of involvement in the game but it was a tough game. We started off on fire and then lost our concentration to let them score. They had their tails up and made it difficult for us. In the second half we had to grind it out a bit but I think we looked quite strong after we scored the third goal."

A Kirk hat-trick is a bit of a rarity, he himself registering that braces tend to be his diet but he does have a match ball from a match in which he scored three for Boston United against Kidderminster in November 2004.

"I have been quite good at the twos but not often a three so I am delighted with it."

Andy's second

The match ball from Forthbank was safety concealed in his kit bag as he talked to the media and he explained that he would get his team mates to sign the ball later in the week.

"It is always a nice momento to keep and look back on your career. I have a few from my days at Hearts in a box in the roof space."

The chance to score a third was a bit of a surprise to the 31 year old from Belfast:-

"I asked the referee beforehand and he said that the game was over. He said that there were a couple of minutes injury time but I don't know what it was. I was jogging back from an offside position and I could see the centre half look across to Martyn Corrigan and I don't think he saw me coming back from the opposite side. I just took a chance and I managed to nick the ball. When I broke through I got the feeling that I was going to score; I picked my corner and I was glad to see it hit the net.

The third goal goes in 92nd minute

"It has been a great start for me but it has also been a great start for the team. We are all playing towards a big aim this season, the supporters are right behind us at the minute and that is due to our performances. Everybody works extremely hard behind the scenes and on the training ground and we are looking forward to keeping that run going."

With no more matches until Dundee come to East End Park in two weeks time Andy viewed that as both good and bad:-

"It is disappointing in one way but it is nice to go into that wee break knowing that we have had a good start to the season. Last season we had the chance to kick on going into international breaks but didn't do that. They were long two weeks but now we can maybe enjoy a couple of days off and rest our legs a wee bit."