ALEX SMITH - LOOKING TO ACHIEVE CONSISTENCY

Alex Smith did not attempt to disguise Saturday's defeat at Motherwell and admitted that what was on offer from his team left a lot to be desired. "The match at Fir Park at the weekend was extremely disappointing for all concerned. The performance was reminiscent of how we played against Hearts just a few weeks ago. Only a very few of the team played to their true capabilities and when that happens, we will lose the game. I have looked back and analysed our preparations for the game and have studied the match itself to see if there were any reasons as to why the team played so disappointedly and whilst not an excuse, several of the players complained of having a heavy cold last week. In fact Jim Paterson has been ill since the match and did not report for training today."

The Manager then began to look ahead to the forthcoming derby match against Dundee. "Whatever the reason for the poor performance, we have to rectify the problem and work harder to bring our performances up to a more consistent level. We may be able to help our cause by having Jamie Fullarton and Danny Griffin available for Saturday and this would offer us far greater options. There is no doubt in my mind that we have had far too many indifferent displays and we have let the fans down this season in games that we should have won. We will continue to work hard and strive towards better levels of performance and consistency."