HOW disappointed were you not to find a way past Hearts on Saturday?

I felt we did enough to win the match. I think we edged the goal opportunities in the first half and missed a couple. I felt we should have gone in at the break a goal up.

If we had got the breakthrough, I think it would have been a big advantage in the type of game it was.

In the second half, we pushed Hearts back the way without really creating too many clear openings. Hearts are a stuffy team and defended well.

The one incisive move we had saw Barry Ferguson's goal ruled offside, which was disappointing again for us as I felt we deserved the victory.

The race for second place is very much on with Hibs and Aberdeen winning at the weekend.

We have to live with those factors; it just adds to the disappointment.

We were playing a team who is vying with us for second place and it was always going to be difficult.

We have to continue to look for the reaction we've had from the players, which we feel has been good, and concentrate on ourselves.

Are you confident you can sign new faces between now and Wednesday night's deadline?

As I have said, we have bids out for a number of players.

If we are successful, that will be great.

If we are not, and we can't get who we want, we'll wait until the summer time.

Is it important to get a striker to help out up front?

That is a position we are looking at. But it's not easy to get a striker. Anybody who has one who plays well and scores goals does not want to give them away, especially in January. We'll have to wait and see.

Davie Weir and Ugo Ehiogu formed a decent partnership?

We were pleased with that. The type of game Hearts played, Davie and Ugo handled that situation well. That's three games since we came in and we've not lost a goal.

Hearts are a big team who are always dangerous at set-pieces, but we coped well and I'm delighted with the way both players have settled in.