Jim Jefferies Post Raith

02/01/13: JJ - "It was about the result but I didn't just get the result today - it was another good team performance.

MATCH PICTURES
Jim Jefferies praised his players after their victory over Raith Rovers - his fifth win out of five in Fife derbies this season:-

"We kept pushing and looked like the team that was always going to score. They have height up front so they are always dangerous and capable of getting on the end of free kicks and corners. We dealt with them okay but it was about the result today. We deserved more; we didn't deserve anything on Saturday but in the three games before that we definitely deserved more than we got. Today we didn't just get the points, we deserved the points against a stuffy side who got behind the ball very quickly and made it difficult for us.

"The tempo was upped in the second half and it always looked like we were going to go in front. It was a great goal from a player (Andy Geggan) who I thought had an outstanding game today. Josh Falkingham had another outstanding game but it was a good all round team performance.

"I have to mention young Byrne; I gave him his debut today - we have high hopes for him, he is only a young kid and I thought that, especially in the first half, he was outstanding and he was okay in the second half until he tired a little bit. I was worried about him maybe fouling through being tired and having already being booked we took him off for his own benefit.

"It was about the result but I didn't just get the result today - it was another good team performance. They passed the ball about well, worked hard against a well organised side."

The Pars gaffer raised a few eyebrows with the inclusion of 19 year old Shaun Byrne and completely wrong footed BBC Radio Scotland's Open All Mikes who had him being a 31 year old ex West Ham.

"With this being the third game in a week and another coming up we felt that a wee change was needed. Even though I was happy with three of the last four performances, we only picked up one point. You have to freshen it and you put your faith in a young boy who has been training with us.

"He has not been training a lot with the 20s over the last three or four months and he is starting to learn from experienced players just what it is all about. I just felt that he was ready today. We knew that it was a derby, we knew that it was a big decision but we had faith in him and he repaid us ten fold. He has terrific promise and he can go home tonight well chuffed with his performance."

After the poor performance at Cappielow and dropping five points off the top of the league JJ felt that it was important to get the win over Raith.

"We stressed that at the teamtalk and so when the Dumbarton result against Morton goes for you like that - back level with Thistle and only three points off the top of the league. We have a run of games now that will not be easy. Dumbarton under Ian Murray have obviously got themselves a bit of confidence winning at Falkirk and Morton so Saturday will not be an easy day but we will go down there and get a lift from taking the three points today."

Asked about the off the field finances, the gaffer replied:-

"The owner has kept us in touch and said that the gate money today would be used to get everybody up to date and clear anything outstanding. Hopefully that will be done this week and we can get on with it. We have shown on the pitch that we have never let that bother us and it is a credit to the players that they do that because it wouldn't be easy for them. Subconsciously you can feel 'why should I?' but not these boys because we want to win.

"It is great that they have never come to me at any time when things have not fallen for them in the last two or three games. They have never used that as an excuse; they deserve every credit. I thought the support was fantastic, they got behind the players and the team, especially after a wee bad run. That is when you need your supporters because they understand the circumstances and can see that the players are giving their all for the Club, good bad or indifferent. They did that against Hamilton and Falkirk and today they could see how hard we were working and that helps the players. I hope they keep that going right to the end of the season and we will see where that takes us."

MATCH PICTURES

Man of the Match v Raith Rovers: Josh Falkingham