Martin Hardie Post Stirling

"I wasn't really think about the red card, I was just looking around to see where Kirkie was. Obviously he was no playing today so I thought right - sprint

Holding the match ball for his second ever hat-trick in senior football, Martin Hardie admitted Saturday's win over Stirling was in a strange game made all the more difficult with two Stirling players being shown red cards in the space of two first half minutes:-

"It didn't really help us play our normal sort of game, we had so much possession of the ball and with them having a couple of players sent off, as mich as it helped us in terms of getting the three points, I think we would have preferred to have kept it eleven v eleven and earn the points rightly.

"You if got to beat the team in front of you, we have done that and managed to get the points on the board. At this time of the season that's all that matters.

"Before the game when we knew we were playing Stirling Albion we that they were possibly play with one up front and it would be hard for us to try and break them down. The two sendings off have changed the game but if they still had eleven men we would still having been trying to play attacking football - in terms of getting in behind them and creating as many chances as we can.

"The most disappointing thing for us is that we lost a cheap goal again. This is something we need to make amends for in the period leading up to the end of the season. It was good to take the three points but we know that there are a few hard games to come and it will swing both ways again."

Martin was shown a yellow card in 59 minutes he explained in short:-

"A yellow card for allegedly diving when I got up and tried to play the ball."

Martin's last and only hat-trick was in December 2005 in Airdrie United's 6-0 demolition of Brechin City. The opportunity for this one came on the platform of two first half penalties. In the absence of the regular penalty kick taker Martin became the self appointed spot kick taker:-

"I wasn't really think about the red card, I was just looking around to see where Kirkie was. Obviously he was no playing today so I thought right sprint. I grabbed it and I fancied it. We were practising them on Friday in training - Kirkie, myself and Steven McDougall - so I was happy to score the first and when the second was awarded I saw it as another chance to get myself on the scoresheet. I was happy to do that."

Time was running out when the Pars midfielder when he completed his hat-trick in the second minute of added time:-

"When I noticed that wee Burkie was on the ball I knew he would just dink it rather than try to work the ball. I just pushed into the box to try and get on the end of it. I actually thought that my chance had gone earlier when I miscontrolled it so I was delighted when wee Burkie just dinked it to the far post and I managed to score.

"I have scored a few doubles in my time but never managed to get a few hat-tricks but it all very well me talking about scoring a hat-trick but it is a team game and we need to go into Tuesday's game in the same spirit and determination to try and win the game. That's the way it is going to continue from here to the end of the season."