Manager Post Ayr United
Saturday, 31st Jan 2015John Potter was delighted to leave Somerset Park having seen his side win for the first time under his managership.
- - Listen to this John Potter interview
"Delighted but probably a wee bit relieved as well. It has been a while coming since I got the job myself personally. We have worked hard all week and we just wanted that win no matter how we got it.
"In the first half it wasn't a great game, it was hard and difficult in the conditions. We had one or two chances but I didn't think that we were great. The second half started more the same but I thought we looked a bit more threatening.
"We got the goal and we were very good after that. We passed it, created more opportunities and saw the game out very well. We defended very well with Ryan Scully and Jim Paterson coming off. We were up against it a bit but I was delighted just to get the win."
That win was sealed with a late goal from David Hopkirk hitting within 24 hours of signing for Dunfermline. Potts considered his new man to have made a great scoring debut:-
"Even in the first half he looked the one who was a bit of a threat. He holds the ball well and is clever. He will get better and his goal showed that bit of composure in front of goal that we have probably not had this season. He gets one chance and he sticks it away so I am delighted for him."
It is clear that the Dunfermline manager is not fussed who scores for him but again goals evaded his strikers Andy Barrowman and Michael Moffat:-
"I thought Andy was great holding the ball up, buying fouls and winning flick ons. He was doing the little bit of the game that probably a lot of people don't see but we appreciate it and it allows us to go up the park. Michael was quietish in the first half. Second half he came into it when there became space towards the end of the game. We are not worried about who is scoring or who is not scoring, we just want to win the game and I am glad that we did."
The manager had to field his substitute goalkeeper, Ryan Goodfellow, with five minutes remaining after Ryan Scully was concussed. Potter confirmed that his first choice keeper was a bit dazed:-
"I don't know if it was his knee or one of the players' knees that hit him in the head. He was a bit all over the place, he is more conscious now although he doesn't know the score. He will be fine."
Four changes were made for the match against Ayr United. New signing David Hopkirk was thrown in and Gregor Buchanan returned from suspension but John Potter explained his thoughts behind making four changes to the team that lost last time out.
"I just thought that we had to change things up a bit. The pleasing thing for me, and I have told them, was that Josh (Falkingham) and Alex (Whittle) who were disappointed to be left out, you would never have known by the way they went about themselves before the game. On the pitch I thought the two of them were great when they came on. They really added something to the team and that is what I expect from my subs.
"It is going to have to be a group effort from now until the end of the season. The two subs coming on, yes they were disappointed but never showed it and were fantastic when when they came on. I just wanted to freshen the team up, we have a good squad and they were just happy to get on."
Having discovered a winning formula it is a pity that there is now no league game for a fortnight:-
"You just want to keep going but it would have been a long two weeks if we hadn't got a win. That is the one pleasing side but we have four under 20 and reserve games so a lot of the players will get more game time.
"I am hoping to get one or two in on Monday as well, some signings to help a wee bit. At the same time David Hopkirk will have two weeks training with us. It will be a good place for the next couple of weeks, it has given us a start and we just need to pick it up from here now."
- - Listen to the thoughts of Ayr United manager Ian McCall
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