Jim Lister after East Fife Game

How does it feel to score first competitive goal for Alloa Athletic

If feels brilliant, yes a good feeling and one I would want more often, it takes a bit of adjusting to the pace of the Second Division after playing with Bathgate Juniors last season but I think I’m getting there, the manager has been bringing me on so far in the second half of the games and I hope I have proved my value to the team. I will continue doing what I’m doing and hopefully the manager might see the opportunity to give me a start in a game soon. I’m happy to be here, it’s a great club and to score on my home debut is perfect for me.
I had a shoot at the senior game earlier in my career with Berwick Rangers but it just didn’t work out at that time, there was a lot of things that came into play at that time with more focus at the time not on the field of play at the club, injuries and I never got started and I thought that maybe my chance had gone in the senior game. I had a good season last season with Bathgate Juniors scoring 38 goals when everything I touched turned into a goal, everything I hit even my scuffs seemed to go in.
However when Kevin McDonald sent over that inch perfect cross today, I knew my name was on it and I attacked the ball with the belief I would score, great connection and delighted with the goal, the reaction of the fans showed they enjoyed the goal as much as I did. We know this season we have every reason to look forward to our games, playing with great belief and the lift the club got for doing so well last season, however other clubs will want to shoot Alloa down. That’s a couple of games now already this season we have had to come back into games and the boys have shown great belief and mentality to win games, there is a great spirit in the dressing room which we look to carry throughout the season.

IT'S the dream of every amateur player who pulls on their boots and head out into the muddy grass each weekend. That a waiting scout is about to transform their life, and soon they will be plying their trade before a packed Ibrox or Parkhead. Well, that exact scenario actually happened to Kevin Welsh, a full-time electrician and left back with Harestanes AFC, who lived the dream by making his professional debut for Hamilton Accies in front of 50,000 fans, a fortnight after his last match for the Kirkintilloch amateur side on a public park in the little Lanarkshire village of Eddlewood. Yet, while the whole experience has a certain Hollywood rags-to-riches fairytale flavour to it, the bitter reality left the 25-year-old cursing his rotten luck. And when Accies return to Ibrox tomorrow for the first time on league business since, Welsh won't be with them. Before we get to the crushing disappointment of his SPL debut in a 4-1 defeat against Rangers at Ibrox in August, however, the story begins last summer when the unknown defender took his first steps on a remarkable journey by accepting a call to play in a trial match. The link between the world of amateur and professional football was provided by Scotland manager Craig Levein's recently-appointed national team scout Michael Oliver, who used to manage Welsh at Junior side Rob Roy. 'Mick set up a trial match between Hamilton and St Johnstone last summer and he needed a left back,' Welsh explained to Sportsmail. 'He told me I was the best player on the park and Billy Reid agreed. Billy asked me to come to Accies but I had groin trouble at the time and I couldn't go. 'When I got better I played a few more games for Harestanes, the last match away against Eddlewood, then I let Billy Reid know that I was fit again and that Alloa Athletic were also wanting to sign me.' Welsh duly joined Hamilton on a part-time contract in mid-August, arranging to train once-a-week due to work commitments but with the ultimate aim of earning a full-time SPL contract. Within a fortnight he was facing Rangers. The night before his big day at Ibrox, the electrician was working late at a factory in Clydebank, oblivious to what the new dawn would bring. 'I was working alongside Rangers fans and we were talking about the game,' he recalled. 'It didn't even cross my mind that I would be playing. 'I had absolutely no idea. I didn't even expect to be in the squad because I had only been able to train on Sundays. 'I just found out on the Saturday morning when Hamilton's assistant manager, Stuart Taylor, told me to make sure I got a big breakfast in me because I was in. It was a massive surprise since I had only played three games for Harestanes before then.'
An unfit Welsh was duly given a torrid 45 minutes by Rangers and the rookie was replaced at half time by David Louhoungou, who could not help 2-0 at the break becoming 4-1 at full-time. Not even comforting words from friends could soothe the former amateur's sense of despondency afterwards. 'It was disappointing because if I had been fitter and stronger I could have done myself more justice,' he said. 'I just felt the opportunity came too early for me, but I was hardly going to turn it down. 'I was up against Steven Whittaker, Steven Davis and occasionally Madjid Bougherra on one of his forward runs as well. I didn't really play well. I know I could have done a lot better and I left the pitch a bit disappointed. 'People say "at least you got to play at Ibrox" and that I lived the dream but I don't think of it like that. I was just a bit gutted because I hadn't been able to do myself justice. 'It was my big chance but it just came at the wrong time. I'm just so disappointed that it came when I wasn't fit. 'Billy Reid and Hamilton were fine with me but it was difficult to fit in there when I was on a part time contract and the rest of the squad were full-time. It was all just a bit annoying.' Within 14 days of his glamour debut, Welsh was duly loaned out to Alloa and was lining up in front of just 1200 for Second Division Alloa in the
less-glamorous surroundings of Recreation Park. The goal was still to win an SPL contract with Hamilton but just one more appearance followed for the Second Division side before injury struck once again for a player who spent 15 months out injured during two years as a trainee at St Johnstone, an experience which forced him to turn to a career as an electrician to pay the bills in the first place. Welsh headed in for a couple of operations, capping a roller-coaster past few months for the player, who became a dad for the first time in the weeks after Ibrox when partner Jennifer gave birth to baby daughter Sienna in September. January saw the end of his SPL dream when Hamilton released him from his contract but it was not the end of his hopes of playing professionally, as Alloa boss Allan Maitland signed him for the part-timers until the end of the season. Welsh has now found the root of his injury problems and has his sights trained on ending the strangest season of his career by lifting silverware, should Second Division leaders Alloa clinch the title. 'I went in for a scan after arriving at Alloa and I had to have an operation on my hernia on to cure a hole in my groin,' he said. 'That's what was causing my long-term injury problems. But when you play for Harestanes AFC you don't get sent for scans so you don't get to the bottom of these things. 'I don't regret anything about what happened at Hamilton. Playing at Ibrox like that is not something that happens to everyone and the overall experience was brilliant and I feel better for it. I'm enjoying it at Alloa and it could end up a successful end to an interesting season,' he added.

brian.marjoribanks@dailymail.co.uk
This article orginally appeared in Daily Mail on Friday 2nd April, 2010

Bryan Prunty after the Stirling Albion Game

Today’s game is a big bonus for me. Every game coming up now is massive they are all as big as each other. We were brought back down to earth on Tuesday night with a bump against Dumbarton but this was a big result for us today so we will take that and look for the positives out of Tuesday. That’s five goals I’ve scored so far – long may it continue. I made a lot of friends when I was at Stirling but I am an Alloa player and that is the bottom line. I am absolutely delighted at the way things are going. Playing at this level I don’t mind at all if you enjoy your football you will give your all because the manager has given me a fantastic chance here – he has been very good with me and as I say regardless of what level I play I will always give my all. Any one of the top four teams could take the championship but as I said Tuesday night against Dumbarton really brought us down to earth with a bump – and next Tuesday nights game will be a massive game again because Cowdenbeath are playing really well just now and we know it’s going to be difficult. We certainly had a patchwork team today– most of the boys that came in today have been brought in from our Youth teams and the centre half, Danny Main , who played as a “Trialist” today was outstanding – credit to them and the rest of the boys – well done.
 

Alloa Athletic striker Stuart Noble’s best form of his career has been rewarded with the IRN-BRU Phenomenal Player of the Month for February. Noble scored five times in four games to put Allan Maitland’s side at the top of the Second Division and the one time Fulham player is delighted. The 26-year-old started his career at Craven Cottage, making it onto the bench for a Premiership game at Blackburn however, after five years in London and loan spells at St. Johnstone, Woking, Torquay and Northampton Town, Noble headed back to Scotland. Despite never starting for Fulham, Noble has no regrets saying, “I had a squad number and was involved in a Premiership game which is not the greatest career but it is something to be proud of. I have plenty of memorabilia from my time down there but I was glad to get back home as I was beginning to struggle with
injuries.” Noble joined East Fife however, they never saw the best of him and he took a year out to play with Gala Fairydean to give his body time to recover before
moving to Airdrie United in the summer of 2007. After a successful season in the Second Division, Noble rarely featured for The Diamonds in the First and a loan move to Alloa became permanent last June. It is a move that he has blossomed from saying, “This is the best goal return of my career and whilst I may be getting the attention with this award, I have to say thank you to my team-mates who have been supplying the goods to Bryan Prunty and I up front.” The arrival of former Airdrie team-mate Prunty has proven to be a catalyst for Noble who said, “Having Bryan here has helped me enormously and I have to
say that the boss Allan Maitland made a great move in bringing him in as he is a goalscorer. Also the boss plays us both through the centre which is different to Airdrie where I was wide left and so far, it has worked very well.” Noble gave credit to Manager Maitland saying, “The Manager has stuck by me and I am grateful for that. I was not scoring that often in the period leading up to the New Year but he kept faith with me despite having new players to pick from and I am delighted to have repaid some of that during February.”

Bryan Prunty was disappointed when his first goal was chalked off today against Arbroath.

My initial thought was that I couldn’t have scored a better goal, and I immediately ran away with my hand in the air thinking I had scored. Then gutted when the referee’s whistle went and realised that he had decided to disallow the goal. At first I didn’t know if it had been for a handball, or someone straying off-side but I was disappointed the goal didn’t count. I have now discovered that the referee disallowed the goal for dangerous play due to my foot being raised, but how many games in the past have we seen other players scoring overhead kicks and these are replayed as goals of the season.
Nevertheless, it has been a good start since I moved to Alloa Athletic with six goals in my first four games with the club. Two goals against Arthurlie, two against Bo’ness, which were both friendlies and more importantly two goals in our last two league games against Stenhousemuir and Arbroath. I don’t set myself any targets but I am glad to be playing in a team where I will look to be playing every week and in the first couple of games I have been rewarded. The Manager has strengthened the team in the January transfer window and with six points in two games we have got a chance and we are looking strong. I will look to play as many games as I can and score as many goals as I can. The Manager has brought me here to score goals and I will look to reward him and personally for me it has been a great start with two goals in two games and six points. We go to Brechin next Saturday which will be tough. I have been there with a few clubs and it’s always a difficult place to go but we are playing with a bit of confidence now so hopefully we will take that into next weeks game.

Delighted to have collected another three points which keeps us top of the league, we could not have asked for a better start to the season and it was important going into the International break we kept up our good early form today. I have had two good spells with Allan Maitland before and I have always been successful working along with him, so I am enjoying playing my football again and delighted he has given me another chance, Alloa Athletic showed faith in me paying money for my transfer back from junior football and again to a higher lever, I wanted to play at as high a level as I could again and it is Allan who has given me the chance again, our aim is to win the league and I want to be part of it. Although not at our best today we deserved to win, but we still have other options going forward, we still have Stuart Noble to come back, Stuart is missing just now due to injury. The boys are all enjoying their football but there is still more to come from this Alloa side, we have still not played to our full potential and hopefully in the coming weeks in training we will start to be a bit sharper and finding our shape, but I think once this comes we will be a force to be reckoned with. There is no place for sentiment in football and today it was strange scoring against my old club, confidence is sky high at the minute at Alloa, although we only scored one goal today, I think we should have had at two or three. I have had a connection with Clyde Football Club for seven or eight years in the past, this is where I grew up playing football so it is sad to see the way the club is at the moment but that is just how football is at the minute and there are other teams in the same boat, I just hope they soon move forward again and times get better for them.

It has been a frustrating couple of weeks, last week we were very disappointed after losing the game having got back into it. The previous week against Peterhead I felt that I should have done better with some of the chances which were presented. But just did not happen on the day and we were punished at the end of the game. It was a massive game today and all the boys were up for it so we worked our socks off and managed to get a result and I am delighted to finish on a high with the club. In my short time with Alloa since January, I have managed four goals in my 14 appearances. I would have liked to have scored more but I am sure the first team experience will help me as I go back to Airdrie United to help them in the First Division. Next weeks is another massive game for Alloa , today’s result will give the players a bit confidence for Alloa’s biggest game of the season against Queens Park, although I won’t be there the rest of the boys know just how big this game is and will give it their all. I am glad I managed to get another goal in my final game for the club – it’s a nice way to leave rather than losing like last week. I missed a few chances in a few games and it does affect your confidence but playing regular and scoring goals is the most important thing for any footballer. I go back to Airdrie now, it’s quite tight for them at the bottom of the First Division and I hope to get involved in the final games. At this time of the season you need to get stuck in when you are at the bottom end of the league no matter what club you are with. My year is up at Airdrie in the summer – and I will need to see what happens and what offers come in. I have enjoyed my time at Alloa and have spoken to the manager and he seems quite keen if the opportunity arose for me at Recreation Park next season but we need to wait and see.

My dream like lots of other young boys is to play professional football and I have to say that playing at Hampden Park in my first full senior debut for Alloa Athletic is something I could not have dreamed for at the start of this season. Today’s game I really enjoyed and I felt as the game went on I got more into the game and more involved and obviously happy to score my first goal in such an important game for the club, at an important time in the match. As the game wore on I got more tired but the goal near the end of the match from Stuart Noble gave everyone a great lift and no more than we deserved because we had worked hard for this result. In other matches this season I feel we have not always had the breaks but we were desperate to collect three points today and get that away win. Asked if today’s goal had been the best of his career he said if not it was one of the most important and meant a lot to him and the people who have shown faith in him. Playing alongside Stuart Noble today had been made easy in the fact that Stuart has helped Greig at training, taking him aside and giving Greig some pointers on how to improve his game and always encouraging him and it was good to play up front with him because he has played at a higher level and passes on his experience which Greig is grateful to Stuart for. Asked about his recollection of today’s goal, Greig said “David Crawford palmed away a shot which came towards me and I only had one thought and leathered it”, lets hope there are still more of Greig’s goals to help “The Wasps” move away from the relegation end of the table this season.

Delighted with the win, Ayr United have been flying high, so to take three points from them is a massive result for us, this was my first full game for the club. I made my debut for the last nine minutes at Gayfield last week but the game was spoiled by the conditions. In midweek we had a bounce game against Arthurlie Juniors which helped me get more match practise and in the game I managed to get my first goal for the club. I have worked with Allan Maitland in the past, this is the third time I have worked with him and I have always enjoyed playing in his sides in the past and have always had success with him, I certainly don’t think I have anything to prove to anybody. Earlier in the season at Hamilton I played in reserve games but never had the chance to break into their first team, however I have a new challenge here at Recreation Park, a battle I’m looking forward to. I thought I did ok today but I’ve not played ninety minutes since sometime in November, 2008 in a reserve game for Hamilton Accies, so to get a full ninety minutes today at this level is very pleasing. At this time I think I am about 85% fit and once I get a few games under my belt it will obviously help. I have signed on loan from Linlithgow Rose until the end of this season with a view to a permanent deal, my registration is still with Linlithgow Rose until Christmas 2010, but hopefully I can do well here and let us see what happens. Every footballers ambition is to strive for full time football, I am 29 now, but there is not that many clubs in the present economic climate got a lot of money to spend on players but if I do well here it puts me back in the shop window. I am still getting to know some of the players at Recreation Park, but today when we got the ball down and passed it we looked a good team, in the second half Ayr United put us under a great deal of pressure which we thought would happen, but on our day there is not a lot of difference from what I can see in teams in the SFL Second Division, in fact it has always been like that even the last time I played in this league, the second division is notorious in the fact that every team is hard to beat. I’m just glad to be back playing ninety minutes and starting enjoying football again, and scoring goals, lets hope there are more to come.