Hopkirk the hopeful

"I didn't expect to play but I was happy to get on the park to help the boys."

When signing on Friday night David Hopkirk said that we just couldn't wait for the match against Ayr on Saturday. At least he only had to wait twenty hours and after the match he was buzzing just as much as when he had signed.

"That was brilliant, I was trying to get up to the tempo because it was faster but it is just a good win for the boys. They had not won in seven games and I was delighted to get a goal as well."

There had been introductions all round when David turned up for the teams pre match preparations. Only Shaun Byrne who he knew from their Celtic youth days, Kyle McAusland and Ross Millen who he knew through acquaintance with Andy his father, were not strangers to him.

"I didn't expect to play but I was happy to get on the park to help the boys."

Help he certainly did! Hopkirk's debut goal for Dunfermline was his eighth of the season. He described his 91st minute right footed finish to the bottom left.

"It just came in front of me and I just thought that I'd place it at the other side." He was half joking as he added "it was an easy finish I thought. That is my favourite corner to go for if I am shooting."

The 22 year old also had a couple of useful efforts in the first half but he claimed that he is more of a creator than scorer. "I can chip in goals as well as set people up."

The new signing thoroughly enjoyed his debut and could not identify just why his new team had gone through such a barren period.

"When I played against them in the League Cup at the start of the season, they battered us. They were sharp and I thought that they would do well. They play great football, the players are good and everything looks brilliant. I don't know why, maybe unlucky. It was the same at Annan as well we were getting ten draws when we should have been winning games. Hopefully we can go on a run now."

The Glasgow born player was on corner kicks so he had a hand in the opening goal too. It was his shortly taken corner to Lewis Spence that set up the cross that Andy Geggan converted midway through the second half.

"You have to mix it up sometimes. Obviously keepers can come and take it and if you take it short teams are not expecting that. We needed a goal at that point, I didn't want to draw but I always felt when we went forward that we were going to score because we have the players to do that."

'Hoppy' admitted that he was feeling the tempo towards the end and overcame blisters emerging from breaking in a new pair of boots as his old ones split last week.

"It was pain but I was fine. Once I am in full time and get used to the boys we will kick on even more. I think I can become a better player, the manager and the assistant will help me.

"I am really looking forward to it. I think we can win the league - that is what my aim is. It is only ten points (with a game in hand), that can be made up, so we have to think positive and just go for it."

Last Monday morning David was turning up for work at the Scotmid store in Edinburgh Road, Cranhill, this Monday he returns to full time football with the Pars. The experience there was clearly a reality check:-

"I think having to go out to work helped me. I was full time (footballer) at one time but that made me grow up a bit. I am just happy and I will take this chance. I will work extra hard, do that bit extra and hope that I can push on again.

"When I got the phone call on Friday to go into Dunfermline I had tears in my eyes just because of the relief. I don't want to go back part time. I want to take my chance. Dunfermline are a massive club as well, great fans and it will be brilliant playing in front of all of them as well."