All building for Kirk
Saturday, 28th Apr 2012"Today it was important that we kept a clean sheet because of the goal difference so we are delighted with both the performance and the result.
Andy Kirk hopes that the first home win of the season has come at the right time for the team:-
"It has been a long time coming. We have put the pressure on Hibs tomorrow and hopefully things will go for us. We will just take one game at a time though.
"We were unfortunate last week to go away from home, score four goals and only come away with a point. Today it was important that we kept a clean sheet because of the goal difference so we are delighted with both the performance and the result.
"Aberdeen were probably the better side in the first half without testing us too much. We got a wee bit deep; the Manager was wanting us to play a wee bit higher up and in the second half we managed to do that. We changed the shape slightly half way through the second half and I think we caused them problems then. It was good management from the side."
Andy paid further tribute to Jim Jefferies for the tactical move:-
"He is vastly experienced and knows the game inside out. I worked with him at Hearts as well; he takes no nonsense and he demands everything from you which is the minimum the players can give. At half time he tweaked the system a bit; where he wanted us to play and once we got that first goal it changed the game for us. We got that bit of confidence and the second goal gave us that cushion and we went on from there. We deserved to win.
"It is hard for the gaffer to get to know the boys, see how they play and their best positions. Jim McIntyre brought a great bunch of boys in here; it was unfortunate that he lost the job at the time but Jim Jefferies is a vastly experienced man who can hopefully can keep us up."
The 3-0 win takes Dunfermline to within three points of Hibs just above them at the bottom of the league. Hibs play St Mirren on Sunday so the points difference could be greater by five o'clock but Andy feels that the Pars win creates the pressure desired on the Easter Road club.
"We knew that we were running out of games. Aberdeen was a must win game and if we had got beat it was in Hibs hands really. If the result in Paisley goes for us, we would look forward to Wednesday night. If we could put back to back wins together it would keep the pressure on. It keeps us in the hunt."
The Pars travel to Inverness on Wednesday to face Caley Thistle while Hibs go to Pittodrie. After that Dunfermline are pitched in against Hibs at Easter Road on Monday 7th May, a match that will be shown live on satellite television. The 32 year old Northern Ireland internationalist continued:-
"It is all building for that but let's wait and see what happens. Hibs are a good side with lots of good players; they will be wanting to go and win against St Mirren. Fingers crossed things go for us and that little bit of luck that we maybe haven't had all year will maybe start to come for us."
A Sponsors Lunch will be held at East End Park on Sunday and the squad will watch St Mirren v Hibs after that. Andy is well aware of the five draws after 90 minutes with Terry Butcher's Thistle already this season:-
"They haven't been great games up there, we have been a wee bit unfortunate up there as well. We need to go and put in another performance, another clean sheet, a couple of goals and keep the pressure on."
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