A fresh start in 2012

"A new year and a new start, we have to start picking up the points now. It is all about putting it all behind you and starting a fresh.

On a damp night at Victoria Park, Dingwall, Joe Cardle whipped over a 93rd minute free kick for Martin Hardie to power in the winning goal. That was on the last Tuesday in March this year and by inflicting defeat on Jimmy Calderwood's Ross County side, the Pars went to the top of the table, a position they were to hold until the end of the season.

As a new year is welcomed in Joe is looking for another 'Martin Hardie moment' to turn his team around. The Pars winger claims that "it is time for us now":-

"We had been drawing a few games and it was 0-0 but from my last minute free kick Martin Hardie got it. In the changing room afterwards it felt like the league was ours. We won every game after that; it is a game like that where something happens out of the blue that the boys need.

"A new year and a new start, we have to start picking up the points now. It is all about putting it all behind you and starting a fresh. We have to look at the teams around us and there's not much in it even though it feels like we keep on losing games.

"The boys have got to understand that this is our livelihood, we want to stay in this league and that's what we are here to do."

Having watched the Old Firm game on television Joe feels that was a perfect build up to the meeting at East End Park. Joe observed:-

"They have their tails up and even though the performance from us on Christmas Eve we have to put that behind us now, look to the Celtic game and hopefully get something out of it.

"We know it is going to be a hard task but anything can happen on the day. They have some great players, players who can finish you off. All over the pitch - their right back and left back can do things going forward.

"We have some great players here too, we've yet to show it in this league."