Managers Post Inverness

18/01/12: JM - "We are very disappointed; I felt that over the 90 minutes we had the best goal scoring opportunities.

Jim McIntyre spoke to the media after the Scottish Cup knock out at the hands of Inverness Caley Thistle:-

"We are very disappointed; I felt that over the 90 minutes we had the best goal scoring opportunities. It is important when you are on a run like we are on, when you create opportunities like that, especially good opportunities that you take them. That can change the face of the game.

"The goal that we gifted gave Inverness the lift to control the next twenty minutes. I couldn't believe that when it happened; it has happened too many times this season and it is a hammer blow to the confidence that it happens again as you saw. Their tails were up after they hadn't really threatened us at all.

"I think they had only had one shot in open play during the ninety minutes which Smith had to tip over the bar. It just handed the initiative to them."

The Manager would not name names and blame anyone for the goal early in the second half that got Inverness Caley back level:-

"We gifted Inverness a goal that has given them a lift but we still rallied in the last ten or fifteen minutes and Thomson had a great chance to score. If he did at that stage it would have been us who would have gone on to win the game. Again we don't take it."

The Manager has a tough job in raising his team's confidence going into the game at Kilmarnock:-

"I have faced a couple of difficult periods in the game since I became a manager. This is another one and I will do what I have always done; graft away and keep working hard with the boys to try and put that belief in them.

"As long as we can stay together, which they are doing, and create chances. If we were not creating chances then I would be worried. As equally important as it is not to make mistakes, it is important to bury your chances when you get them. That changes things as well."

The ability to enlarge his playing squad going into the all important next three months now suffers as a consequence of the cup exit. He assessed that with one word:-

"Hugely, is the honest answer. There is no doubt that a tie against Celtic live on Sky would enable me to bring in further players."

"Terry Butcher was naturally in great form when he gave his opinions on his sides progress to the Fifth Round and a five match unbeaten run:-

"I thought we were a hundred times better on Saturday than we were tonight. Full credit to Dunfermline they were miles the better team in the first half and deserved their 1-0 lead at half time. We were lucky that was only 1-0 because Jonny Tuffey had a great save and we never got going at all. At half time it wasn't a case of ranting and raving it was a case of what are you going to do?

"It was a 45 minute game as far as we are concerned and we had to show a lot more, give a lot more and play a lot more. We hadn't played in the first half but then we got a gift of a goal again. Jonny Hayes was the one who tapped it in and it gave us a lot of heart. I thought we were going to win it in normal time but then I thought we looked strong in extra time.

"It was a great goal from Andrew Shinnie; it moved all over the place and it was a fantastic strike from him. The goal just into extra time gave us something to defend and we were able to pick them off after that.

"Dunfermline to their credit gave everything. They battered long balls into the box and we had to reshape the defence again with David Proctor coming on. If I could change the eleven for Saturday I probably would do after today. It is a long way back up but we are in the next round and I will be having a phone call to my chairman to see how much money is available after this." He chuckled "I think his phone might be engaged."

Terry was amused in the end with the heated incident between Richie Foran and Jonny Hayes that led to them both being yellow carded. He jested that it was all Irish to him:-

"Actually the referee too got a good hit on the head as well! I don't know how they did it but they actually hit the referee and got away with it. I never did that in my whole playing career. Euan Norris did well because he took a punch and stood up. He did very well it is something Amir Khan would learn about.

"I had a go at Richie just to get him going. It was one of those ones where you could do something and it is frustrating giving him a ball that wasn't quite right so Richie had a go at him. He had a go back as well. I have grabbed players by the throat when I have been on the pitch as well but never hit the referee in the process.

"It was just passion and the will to win. Jonny was excellent after that. I can't go on the pitch and grab Jonny by the throat so the next best thing is my captain doing that. I was going to take Jonny off but Maurice (Malpas) said no, see if we get a reaction which I think we did. Jonny Hayes did really well after that. Richie has to grab him by the throat before the next game.

"Andrew Shinnie scored a goal that bent a hell of a lot, it was unsavable.

"I think the importance of the game had an impact on the players - on the way that both teams played. We all knew what was at stake, financially it was a massive game for either club. So I think that got to the quality of the game."