Saturday 18th August, 2012 at 8:50pm
Victory at East End park this afternoon means that the five games that Thistle have played this season have produced five victories. No wonder the Thistle fans were in such good voice at the end of the game as well as throughout the 90 minutes.
The Thistle manager was also in a happy mood when we spoke to him after the game.
“I think the players showed a lot of desire this afternoon and real team work in terms of getting the ball back. Even in the last minutes of the game the left back is up at the other end trying to get the ball back. The players displayed a lot of energy today although I could have done with a second goal to ease my nerves.”
Jackie continued;
“Credit to Dunfermline they came at us in the second half. There was the physical aspect to worry about with second balls but I’m delighted to get the three points. Dunfermline are going to be up there come the end of the season.”
Is there any danger of the players getting carried away with the start they’ve made to the season?
“No, I don’t think the players will get carried away at all. We are at home to Dumbarton next week and that game carries three points just like today’s and that’s what we will be telling the players every week. There is a long, long way to go. We’ve still to be Falkirk and Dunfermline another three times and everyone else four times. What it is, is a good start and hopefully we can keep the momentum going. Today was a good result and a good result but we start to focus now on next week’s game against Dumbarton. We’ve a lot of tough games coming up. ”
“I think everyone and every team wants to win promotion. You don’t start the season with the ambition of just wanting to survive. The way I was brought up was that no matter what I do I want to succeed and hopefully that is something that I can install in my players. There are signs there that they have the required desire and tenacity.”
Dunfermline boss Jim Jefferies was encouraged, if a little frustrated, by his side’s performance.
“We’re a new team and today was going to be a good indicator of how we are going to do this season”, said Jefferies
“Based on our second half performance if that is as close that we are going to run Partick Thistle, and take nothing away from them they are a good side, then we are going to be there or thereabouts this season.”
“We’re frustrated. We started the game well and then Thistle took control and scored an avoidable goal. Second half I thought that we totally dominated up to the final third where our decision making was poor. The only threat we came on the break and I thought that we handled that well.”
