Manager Post Montrose

08/01/11:- JM "We showed great patience, created numerous opportunities, their keeper had four really good saves and it is important when it is like that to stay calm, believe in what you are doing

Pars Manager Jim McIntyre:-

"Our final ball let us down today. Although we dominated the game, Montrose scored with their first shot. Our keeper had only one save to make but these are hard places to come. You could see the lift that the goal gave them and it was game on.

"What I was really pleased with in the second half was that we continued to pass the ball. Sometimes punters just want to see you get it forward because you are behind. We showed great patience, created numerous opportunities, their keeper had four really good saves and it is important when it is like that to stay calm, believe in what you are doing and keep doing the right things. We did that.

"Sometimes on the day your final ball lets you down but we got into some great positions. It has been a common theme over the last few weeks when that has happened. It is important that you are getting in these positions; that is the most important thing, if we weren't getting into them then I would be worried. We are getting into them and we will just keep hammering away.

"Credit to Montrose; they did well and you could see the lift that the goal gave them. Obviously they have had one or two opportunities - Chris Smith had a great save from a long ball up the park. That disappoints me that one long ball puts the striker in, for me that's just a concentration thing. When you have so much of the game and they are sat back you have to stay concentrated even though we have most of the play. All it takes is one chance and it can be a goal. So it proved.

"When you have a lot of possession and going forward, playing pretty much in their half, it is important that you remain focussed at the back and keep the back door shut. We have our keeper to thank on one occasion but that one occasion was vital at that stage of the game."

Macca was asked if he thought the tie was won when Andy Kirk's 15th goal of the season made it 2-1 with just nine minutes remaining.

"You think when you go 2-1 up that you will go on and see the game out because we were dominating the game and we were on the ascendancy most of the half. But we seemed to take our foot off the pedal as if at 2-1 up, that's us. That was disappointing as well."

Jim McIntyre felt that the replay scheduled for Tuesday 11th January at East End Park must to be doubt because of the weather.

"Whether the park will be playable with the frost and all the snow then that's another story. We will just have to wait and see. The undersoil heating takes a while to work on the frost but that's the date that has been planned for it. We will try and get the game on; I would say that it looks doubtful."

Montrose Manager Steven Tweed:-

"Full credit to my players; they were a squad of players who did magnificently, stuck to their task and got their just rewards."

Montrose's goalscoring hero Paul Tosh described his two goals:-

"The first one was from a good pass from Nicky (Smith), I took my first touch 20 yards away and just hit it. The keeper got a touch on to it but it was in. The second one - the Manager knocked it down and I just latched on to it."

The former Rovers man conceded that Dunfermline were miles ahead in terms of possession:-

"They hammered us for a good spell with crosses into the box especially in the second half but we dealt with them and rode our luck a bit with the ball coming off the post.

"It was a one off Scottish Cup game. My old legs will recover for Tuesday and go into that game with the same determination. I don't think the tie is beyond us."