Managers Post Cowdenbeath

12/02/11 JM:- "We were solid, didn't give much away and looked a threat. There were some great performances out there today, it was a real team performance.

Jim McIntyre was very happy with his team's performance at Cowdenbeath, he thought that they approached the game in a very positive manner:-

"The only thing missing in the first half was putting the ball away, the second half performance was equally good. We were solid, didn't give much away and looked a threat. There were some great performances out there today, it was a real team performance.

"Liam Buchanan and Andy Kirk linked really well today and caused them a lot of problems. You can see the understanding is there and when wee Davie plays like that he is so hard to handle."

David Graham would probably have been presented with a bottle of bubbly had Sky TV chosen to cover this game but Macca didn't want to single out any one individual in what was a great team performance:-

"There were a lot of Man of the Match's, Davie had a great game - there is no doubt about that - but for me there wasn't a fault for me today.

The defence was solid with a shut out achieved.

"Big Kevin (Rutkiewicz) has added a real solidity to it. He brought the best out of the other defenders around about him. I thought McCann was excellent, Keddie and Woods gave us that solid look. That was pleasing and Gary Mason did a great job in there as well. I couldn't leave anybody out. They played really well and the shape that we played suited them."

There are sixteen games left and Macca reminded everyone that the season is nowhere near finished yet.

"We speak about how tight this league is every week. If you are not on the money then you are easily turned over. There are good sides and without their points deduction Dundee would be top of the league. They still have a good side and their league position is kind of false. Partick Thistle are on a fantastic run, they are the form team in the league along with Dundee. There are so many tough games ahead and places like this aren't easy. If you don't start well you can be easily turned over as teams have found out.

"It is all about your mental approach and putting the ball away when you get the chance. Martin Hardie is a great addition to the squad and when he gets his fitness up he will be an important member. You can see his experience right away - a quick throw in - he puts the ball into a dangerous area and Andy Kirk gets the goal that he thoroughly deserved."

Jimmy Nicholl wasn't too concerned about his team's first half performance, after all they came in at 0-0 at half time:-

"Davie Hay had a couple of good saves and blocks in the first half. We were heartened at half time without being brilliant but then the early goal in the second half which has been the case in the last four or five games. How simple a goal was that opener? A long ball up the park, nobody covering and nobody attacking the ball in the air and then a strike. I could talk through all the goals being so simple.

"Goals come from mistakes - if defenders didn't make mistakes there would be no goals. I can understand if they were all wonder goals and clever stuff but it was all basic stuff. That is why I get so annoyed with them. They are a good, honest group but they keep making mistakes.

"We have got to be aware of the mistakes because we have some six weeks ahead of us and we need everybody involved so I am not going to destroy them. They need to go and have a look, think about your game and could you have contributed more or you could have avoided. That is all I am asking because it is going to be a long hard shift if we continue conceding goals as easy as that.

"Once they got the second goal, their confidence grows and it was three and four. That is what you are trying to avoid - a collapse and get beat heavily. I keep saying that there's a way of losing, unfortunately we didn't lose today in a way that I enjoy.

"We made it easy for them". After chewing over his answer Jimmy Nic felt that Dunfermline weren't the best team that he has come across in this league campaign:-

"We can always get things out of the games against them. We were 1-0 up against them at East End Park. They came back but I think the best team that we have played against were Queen of the South. Queen of the South went to Falkirk and won 3-0. We did well here against Raith Rovers, we lost 2-1 but we played well against them. nobody really stands out but it is that individual quality that you see today in the opposition that makes you think there's the difference between their boys and our boys."