Manager on Thursday

03/10/13: JJ - "We need the same kind of performance, because it will take one hell of a performance from the opposition to overcome that.

Even on Thursday lunchtime Jim Jefferies was still glowing with his side's good performance last weekend:-

"It makes it even better because Ayr United were undefeated and came up with the intention of going away with a result. We've had tighter games against teams not playing as well as Ayr United did, which gives us all the more reason to be happy with the performance. Some of the football, particularly in the first-half, was just a joy to watch."

Dunfermline had gone behind after just a minute when Michael Moffat had slotted the ball past Ryan Scully and two defenders but the Ayrshire outfit got punished for their audacity. Ryan Wallace with two, Alex Whittle, Andy Geggan and Josh Falkingham went on to score the Pars five goals. JJ continued:-

"It's great when you see the ball going into the back of the net on the back of great build-up play, but when you see two going in the postage stamp corner it just makes the goal all the more deserving of the build-up.

"We counted on the video there were 14 passes before Josh's goal and if he had stuck it anywhere in the net we would have been happy. But when he rifled it into the top corner it made it just one of those goals that you dream about, in terms of the build-up.

"Alex Whittle's was a great finish as well, from a good build-up, although maybe not as many passes. And the one in between, from Andy Geggan, was a great flowing move as well. It wasn't an easy finish, because he had to volley that in with the side of his foot. It showed a great desire to get in front of the defender and control the ball as it came in.

"We've maybe been missing that in the last few weeks. We've been in positions recently where the pass has maybe not been good enough - weighted right and in the right area - to allow the player to hit it first time. In the past we've maybe overhit it or forced him to take a touch and then the chance is gone."

What was different against Ayr was the split second decisions and chances in the build-up play went right:-

"If it's perfect you get a great chance to finish and it was near perfect last Saturday" concluded the Pars gaffer.

He also acknowledged that the team has to do its part in ensuring a successful and sustainable club:-

"The fans have been great and have put a lot of money into the Club, and we want to get them enjoying their football. You get a lot of people saying, even in the games we lost, that it would come, we were playing great. They love to see the young boys putting in that kind of effort and trying to play good football. They'll back you all day long and the atmosphere's great when we're playing the games. Everybody's been getting behind us because they're enjoying it and we're trying to give them more days like Saturday.

"But we've now got to keep our feet on the ground. We played great and we got the three points, but it's gone and now. We need the same kind of performance, because it will take one hell of a performance from the opposition to overcome that."

Looking ahead to the next opponents. Dick Campbell's Forfar Athletic, Jefferies joked about their veteran central defence:-

"I think if you add the ages of Darren Dods and Marvin Andrews together they're a wee bit older than me! I watched their game against Rangers and they gave the game away with a mistake. You could tell from Ally McCoist's interview afterwards that (he believed) his team were lucky to get all three points. I thought Forfar were unlucky.

"Rangers are at their strongest at set plays, because they've got some big lads. I saw them in the game before that against Queen of the South. A lot of the time Queen of the South matched them or maybe were slightly better, particularly in the first-half on the football side. But Rangers were strong in set plays and three of their goals from set plays.

"Forfar could deal with that because they had Andrews and Dods. They will be a big asset, not just defensively but also in attack. We don't want to give away any daft free-kicks in and around the box, but if we do we'll need to defend them well because those two boys throughout their careers have always gone and attacked the ball - and they're good at it.

"Chris Templeman's good in the air as well, and we have to be mindful of that. I think that's where they handled Rangers really well, at free-kicks and corners, and it meant they were always in the game.

"It's always a hard game up there but I'm hoping we can learn lessons from last season when we went up there and were fortunate to get away with 3-1, which we rescued back at home with the infamous game where they had three boys sent-off. We'll have to learn and not put ourselves in that position again. We've got to handle everybody else well, but I'm sure we'll look at that from last season and say 'we know where we went wrong' and we'll try and put it right again.

"The other thing with Forfar v Dunfermline is the fact they've got strong Dunfermline connections, with Dick and Ian Campbell and John Young. And, of course, Iain Campbell and Chris Templeman, which always gives it that wee edge to it, if you like.

"We just need to concentrate on what we do and try and put in the kind of performance that will get us the win."