Moff at nine targets Ayr

"We know that you need to be playing well or you will not be in the team."

Michael Moffat took his total number of goals for the season to nine with his spectacular seventh minute header at the Excelsior Stadium on Saturday. After notching six in his first seven games this season, Michael was delighted to be back on the scoresheet.

"After the last couple of weeks it was good to get a win after the last couple of weeks (two 0-0 results). Hopefully we can kick on from here, we are unbeaten in eight and we want to keep the run going.

"It wasn't like us to go two games without scoring, the thing was we were still creating chances in these games. It would be more worrying if we weren't creating the chances. The boys are confident we will score and that is six clean sheets (league) in a row now.

"When we have scored early in games that is when we have been at our best. Teams need to have to come and have a go at you once you have got a goal, so it was nice to get that and I think we controlled most of the match.

"They did not really have too many chances. When the second went in it gave us a wee bit more comfort and we were unlucky not to get a few more."

Michael has now scored in both games against Airdrieonians this season but having failed to do so in the four matches so far, he would dearly love to score against his old club and title rivals Ayr United.

"Two headers it is not like me and I think that is four for the season so far, the most I have ever scored. It doesn't matter how they go in though. I am delighted with that."

Still a point behind Ayr United, Michael would rather be top but the season is not yet at the half way stage.

"It is only a one game swing; Ayr are on a great run as well (11 unbeaten) but we just need to make sure if they slip up, we win. Last week we could have been top so that was disappointing. We just need to keep winning and it could be a big massive match when we go down there."

The defence's success gives confidence to the strikers:-

"You know that they are going to limit teams to chances and if we can get a goal there is a good chance that is going to be a winner."

The Pars strikers have hit the target no fewer than 55 times this season with Joe Cardle, Faissal El Bakhtaoui and Ryan Wallace chipping in regularly in addition to Michael. David Hopkirk and Mickael Antoine-Curier complete the manager's options upfront, Michael agreed the competition for places is a good thing:-

"It is probably a good kind of pressure, there are four strikers and even David Hopkirk can play upfront. We have five trying to play in two positions but Ryan Wallace showed on Saturday that he can play out wide as well. We know that you need to be playing well or you will not be in the team."

Michael claimed that the squad is enjoying the league campaign and relishing the pressure:-

"We have started the season well in our quest to get out of this league only unfortunate for us Ayr have done the same thing. There is a long way to get yet and we are confident is we keep playing the way we are that we will be there or thereabouts at the end of the season."

Related Stories

• Airdrieonians 0 Dunfermline 2
• Manager Post Airdrieonians
• Ryan returns to Airdrie
• Keeper catches Ladbrokes Award