Kirk four by four
Monday, 15th Aug 2011"If you hit the right positions then eight or nine times out of ten the ball will drop in those areas and it is just about keeping it on target. I was lucky today with a shot across goal.
The winning goal at McDiarmid Park was Andy Kirk's fourth goal of the season
"It is a good enough start for me and it is a good start for the club as well. We said at half time that we never started the game well but we got into it. Playing away from home we were playing a slightly different shape and we maybe didn't light the heather in the first half obviously he had the penalty save but overall I don't think that Gallacher had that many saves to make.
"Gall is a great 'keeper. I played against him for years and played with him in the First Division for a year so we all know how good he is. He had a wee mistake last week that cost us a goal but he saves on more occasions than he lets us down. He has got all the attributes, a great kick, a good shot stopper and saved the penalty today as well.
"When Liam Craig stepped up to hit it, I just had the feeling that normally a left footer would go across that way. Gall made the decision and got there."
Kirkie, a nine times internationalist himself, felt that Paul Gallacher still has all it takes to play at that level:-
"If you look at the guy's performances over the last years I think that he is right up there. I rated him highly and I think the Manager and all the players rate him very highly. It gives the back four a lot of confidence when they know they have a guy like that behind you. We are delighted to have him."
Gall acknowledged that his mistake against Inverness Caley when he failed to hold a driven ball let Johnny Hayes in to equalise. Andy said that Paul was down about it:-
"The boys never blamed him for making a mistake because we are all capable of making mistakes but he saved us today again and I'm sure he will do that throughout the season. John Potter is grateful to him again but I am not sure that it was a sending off. Jason Thomson was maybe in behind covering but it is one of those decisions that the referee has to make in a split second."
St Johnstone had a lot of possession and sent many balls into the box but Andy thought that his defence dealt with it all really well:-
"The defenders were top class and Andy Dowie was brilliant today when he dropped back to centre half. We worked hard to grind out the win."
His team mates certainly had to thank Andy for the three points although he would play that down:-
"I am a goalscorer and have scored goals no matter where I have played. If you hit the right positions then eight or nine times out of ten the ball will drop in those areas and it is just about keeping it on target. I was lucky today with a shot across goal. I got myself in a position where I thought the ball was going to arrive in, thankfully it did."
After four goals in four games Andy is naturally delighted at getting off the mark early and is pleased that he appears to still be up to SPL standards.
"I want to build on that. I have always believed in my ability and able to play at this level. I have had three years in the First Division with Dunfermline trying to get up; we achieved that goal and now the goal is to do well in the SPL."
He scored 21 goals in 39 appearances for the Pars last season and each season Andy has set himself goal scoring targets but never reveals those publicly.
"I never tell anybody; it is a personal battle that I have with myself. I set myself quite high standards and try and reach them."
The win on Saturday saw Dunfermline climb to fourth place in the SPL. Andy commented:-
"It is always nice to be as high in the table as we can. We are not looking to just stay in the league but to stay as high as we can. It is challenge that we have set ourselves, at this moment in time we are fourth but there is a long long way to go."
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