Old pals are major part of the act

Martin Hardie: "It is obviously going to be important and imperative that the older boys talk their way through the game with the young ones.

Martin Hardie is clear that home form will have a profound impact on the Pars chances of SPL survival:-

"We have come up on merit as league winners but on the basis of the St Mirren game, even though we were better in the second half, it is going to be a long hard season for us.At the end of the season it is going to be our home points that will keep us in this league.It is imperative to collect points at home and particularly winning points."

Martin admitted that the visitors had more of the possession and at times we were giving the First Division champions "a wee bit of a chasing."

"It is a learning curve for us because its different gravy when you come up to the big league.Instead of dominating games in the First Division, it is harder to keep possession and score goals at the other end.That is something that we have got to learn."

As one of the experienced players who have been over the course before Martin claimed

"It is obviously going to be important and imperative that the older boys talk their way through the game with the young ones.  Communications are a vital part of the game. That is something that collectively the team are going to have to get used to in terms of keeping possession of the ball.  When you don't keep possession of the ball that's when you get tired because the other team are keeping it. There are obviously things that we need to work on and I'm sure that will happen."

The two free kicks that Martin took responsibility for were nicely positioned for a Hardie special like some that had been put away in the past:-

"The first one was very reminiscent of the Raith position.I had that in my mind so I knew what I was looking for in terms of who I was putting in the wall etcetera and getting it over and aiming for the corner.  What I wasn't actually expecting it to come so far in to possibly the middle of the goal.I think I did aim it maybe two or three yards outside the post to let it come in but the new balls we are playing with are lighter than the balls we were playing with last year.  Big Sammy (Samson) has pulled off a great save.

"Then even at the second one I still fancied my chances. I tried to get it on target and Sammy actually said to me that he got a wee touch on it.It is good goalkeeping from his point of view.I would have loved one of them to have gone in, not just from my own perspective but for the team's."

At the end of the game Martin was pushed forward when Ryan Thomson was introduced into midfield towards the end of the game. He revealed that he had played up front a few times.

"It is something that I enjoy and the gaffer knows that I can play up there because of my height and physical presence; getting in about defenders and laying things off to oncoming midfielders.It is nothing strange to me, if he asks me to play anywhere I will play it."