Striker escapes penalty miss

Andy Kirk: "It happens - you miss penalties, you score penalties, if you are going to take penalties then you have got to be prepared to miss them as well."

Andy Kirk reported that the team was just as excited as the fans after recording a win at the Falkirk Stadium on Saturday:-

"The supporters were great today so I am pleased for them as well. It was important that we got off to a good start - the previous two seasons we played really well but didn't get the result. In my first season against Partick Thistle we got beat 1-0 with the last kick of the ball and the same last season against Inverness. It is our first game and we have to build on that performance."

Playing in front of a crowd of just under 7000 in what was a real cauldron gave all the players a lift:-

"We enjoy the atmosphere and the supporters cheering you on. All the boys want to play in that sort of atmosphere every week. Unfortunately that doesn't happen in our league but when it comes along it is a special day."

It could have been all that much more special for Andy had his 28th minute spot kick not been saved by Austrian keeper Bobby Olejnik:-

"It was a bad moment for myself but at the end of the day we still got the three points and we have to be happy about it.

"I just didn't connect with it, I wanted to go high with it and I just didn't get it up. Things like that happen, if you want to take penalties sometimes you miss them. Unfortunately for me today I missed it and personally I am devastated by that."

Andy has assumed the role of penalty taker since Stephen Glass vacated it but there are others in the team who would be up for the challenge - Steven Bell and Willie Gibson for example - but Andy added that he would still put himself forward to take the next penalty:-

"I would put myself up for it but I don't know if any of the other boys would want to hit it. It happens you miss penalties, you score penalties, if you are going to take penalties then you have got to be prepared to miss them as well."

"I am delighted for the boys and the result that we got. I think it is deserved. Fair enough second half we were under a bit of pressure and we started to get a bit deep but our first half display and our work rate was deserving of the game."

Andy feared that Falkirk would get back into the game after his penalty miss:-

"It is always possible but if we had gone 2-0 up that would have given us a bit of a cushion but the boys did well at the back to give us a clean sheet. Our keeper pulled off a great save near the end from Kenny Deuchar but we are delighted with the result.

"Last year we lost a lot of goals that we shouldn't have lost. We have got to get that winning mentality and we have enough players who can create things and score goals. It was a good start for us and we need to take that forward."

Very aware that the season has a long way to go Andy added:-

"Falkirk have a lot of good players and big Elvis has them playing good football so they will do well this year I am sure."

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07/08/10: Match Report: Falkirk 0 Dunfermline 1