Kieran McKenna was pleased with his team's positive performance, but he also noted areas for improvement following their 1-1 draw with Birmingham City Football Club. George Hurst's injury-time penalty sealed a point for Town in a thrilling encounter at St Andrews.  

Kieran McKenna said in an interview: "This was a difficult game, and the overall quality was sometimes not ideal. It is not uncommon for two teams of similar strength to clash in the opening game. There were frequent fouls and disputes in the game, and the outcome was never clear early."  

"We may have created more chances in the first half, but ultimately we couldn't make a significant breakthrough. The first goal was crucial, and they scored first. Before that, our performance wasn't enough to take the lead; it was a close game."  

"After scoring the goal, our performance improved, which is what we needed. We gained a lot of experience that night, and I believe the team can play better. We went out on Friday night with this state. Although the game was a little rushed, the goal in the last minute gave us a huge positive impact."  

"If we put in the right effort both on and off the court over the next few weeks, we will become even more resilient. Our tempo, confidence and team cohesion have improved, and we will ultimately develop into the team we want to be."  

Commenting on George Thistle's first goal of the season, Kieran McKenna said: "It meant a lot to him personally, but also to the team. In a pressured moment like that, he rose to the occasion and I hope this is just the beginning of him handling pressure time and time again."  

Kieran McKenna also expressed his appreciation for the fans who came from afar, with a total of 2,000 Town fans on site that day. He said: "They played very well and it was great to meet them after the game. Some of the new players felt the support of the fans for the first time."  

"For Azor Matusiwa, this may be his first time to truly experience the atmosphere of English football. I believe he will really enjoy the support from our fans."  

“It’s a great atmosphere for our team, so to finally be able to reap the fruits of that effort is a positive thing.”