Reaction

jack ross at starks park

So pleased for the players, I think I said this after the Falkirk game that people think because you are in this role you become obsessed about it and results for yourself, but the players work so hard and they have performed over the last three games the way they have trained as a group not just the players on the pitch but the whole squad and I am just delighted they get their rewards because they have had an awful lot of knocks this season, it’s not easy its human nature that you lose confidence and a bit belief, so delighted for them tonight and I’ve told them to enjoy it, some people say don’t get carried away, go and enjoy it and develop that taste for it and hopefully there will be more of these days between now and the end of the season.

I think the game could have went either way and I think Raith had the abundance of clear cut chances dropping around our penalty box, I thought we defended brilliantly as a team, as the game from halfway through the first half we started to get to grips to it a lit bit more and started to look more of a threat, I thought in the Falkirk game we could have had a case to get something out of the game, which we didn’t, and certainly Raith Rovers could have a call they could have taken something from the game tonight, so that’s just what happens sometimes, you need little bit of good fortune and we had them tonight, listen of course I’m going to say I thought we deserved the victory because these guys put an awful lot into this game tonight.

Everybody who played and came on tonight was terrific and that’s important, to keep a squad happy is not an easy thing, especially when these guys make the sacrifices they do, so to see the reaction of those who were involved was brilliant, even after we had to reshuffle things due to injuries, it comes down to attitude and desire, you can talk as much as you like about tactics and shape and ideas of how to play but if you don’t have the right attitude and desire it doesn’t matter and we had that in abundance tonight.

Colin Hamilton is an example of a player whose season has maybe been a bit of a difficult adjustment for him coming up a division, I spoke to him after the St. Mirren game, I hadn’t really had a chance before to work with him, but since then we spoke about a couple of little things on sometimes you just have to concentrate on doing your job to begin with and I think he has done that in the last couple of weeks and I think he has been excellent, be a defender first and foremost and anything after that is a bonus, he certainly had a couple of important tackles and blocks in the game tonight and looked solid defensively.

Michael Doyle, it was what it was, and then we have managed to secure him on a short term contract at the moment, Michael still has an ambition to play full time, if that opportunity comes up for him then we won’t stand in his way, but if he continues to be available for us he will be in our squad, look Michael has been a terrific player for this club, even long before I was here, the club have a lot of respect for him he has been great and so we have an understanding if something happens we will look at it, if not I will be delighted for the club.

Isaac deserved his opportunity for how he has performed at Brechin, circumstances we don’t have a lot of options in the striking department, speaking to him after the game, he said it was different for him, more difficult, people think there is no difference in the leagues, there is, he was playing against some good defenders tonight, even the tempo and pace of the game, it was a challenge for him and I think he did ok and he enjoyed it and played his part in us winning the game, I’m sure he will be pleased with himself.

We must now develop that taste for winning which is an important thing and hopefully the players have started to do that, Saturday will be another huge test for us but one thing I am really determined to do is turn round our home results because we need to do that to give ourselves a platform, coming to places like this and winning is great but without picking up victories at home it makes it even more difficult.