Competition: Championship

Alloa Athletic v Ayr United

Saturday’s game was a good advert for the SPFL Championship with both teams looking to win the game in a crisp frostly afternoon with the scenic snow capping The Ochils in the background. Both teams opened briskly after a delay of fifteen minutes due to an accident holding up traffic on the road to the match.

The visitors took the lead after 29 minutes with Michael Moffat firing home with a bullet strike. Alloa recovered quickly and less than two minutes later were level when Alan Trouten scored his seventeenth goal of the season against one of his former teams.

Ayr United continued to have a lot of the ball in the first half but Alloa had good chances and looked dangerous. Into the second half Dario Zanatta was causing the Ayr defences problems but to be fair Aaron Muirhead was there to deny him blocking a shot off the line and then by a great last minute challenge.

Alloa were to fall behind when a long ball down the centre was missed by the Alloa defence and Neil Parry coming out from his goal brought Michael Moffat down, penalty. Lawrence Shankland back in the Ayr United side scored his 30th of the season.

The penalty changed the game at a time Alloa looked like they could get in front but were punished after losing such a poor goal. Credit to Jim Goodwin’s men who never know they are beaten and twice Ross Doohan proved just how good a goalkeeper he is, firstly saving from Jordan Kirkpatrick but then broke Alloa hearts with a better save from Iain Flannigan pushing the shot onto the crossbar and over.

Worse was to come with two minutes left Ayr United pressed the Alloa defence with no Alloa player taking the chance to clear the ball upfield or out of the park, the ball broke kindly to Michael Moffat who accepted the gift and fired the loose ball high into the net. It was a day to remember for Michael Moffat who scored twice, was brought down for one penalty and could certainly have had other late in the game, all on the day his wife had earlier given birth to his daughter, Mila.

Michael Moffat scores opening goal
Alan Trouten makes it 1-1
Aaron Muirhead clears off the line
Aaron Muirhead blocks Dario Zanatta's goalbound shot
Lawrence Shankland scores from the spot
jim goodwin after home defeat to ayr

Yes it is fair to say we are disappointed at the result, it won’t be any surprise to anyone when they read the paper and see the score line and it probably flatters Ayr a wee bit, it makes it look a little more comfortable than it actually was but it is that old cliché goals change games.

I was looking forward to the second half, I felt the draw at half-time was fair – they scored a decent goal and we scored a decent goal but the penalty was a sore one. I think we should have dealt with it better, the header should have just went back up the park, it was a stonewall penalty I would not argue with it. Then at 2-1 down we kept going kept trying to get back into the game, we know Ayr United are a very dangerous side on the counter attack and we worked on that during the week, their keeper but a great save tipping an effort onto the bar at 2-1 so there was fine margins but the third goal was amateurish.

It was late on in the game, it was a poor decision, we should have just tried to put the ball out of the park but we tried to play our way out of trouble and it ends up being a tap in for Michael Moffat. Three – one looks like a comfortable afternoon for Ayr United but I think anyone here would have recognised there wasn’t a great deal between the two teams.

Both Falkirk and Partick Thistle have been busy in the January transfer window and both have strengthened, I think between then they must have signed about twenty players, so yes they have had their cheque books out both of them and both of the teams desperate to stay in the league, but we always knew that was going to be the case, we knew once the window was opened the teams around us would strengthen and get better, our last two games have been against Ross County and Ayr United, Ross County are in first place in the Championship with Ayr United  in second as I said we are not expected to beat those teams but we always believe we can but unfortunately on this occasion that has not been the case, we haven’t surprised anyone with our results and we have three games coming – 9th February v. Falkirk (H), 16th February v. Partick Thistle (H) and 23rd February v. Queen of the South (A) which will be three massive games for us and hopefully we can get back to winning ways next week against Falkirk
1 - 3
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Ross County v Alloa Athletic

jim goodwin after defeat to league leaders

Goals change games, it’s as simple as that, but the players deserve credit for the unbeaten run they have been on in the league. We were very much in the game at 1-0 but when the second goal went in just after the hour mark it gave us a mountain to climb.

Ross County, in my option are the best team in the league with fantastic strength in depth, however we are still very disappointed to lose we knew it would be a difficult place to go, we were on a great run of form going into the game, unbeaten in our last six games in the league and we have another tough match coming up next week against Ian McCall’s Ayr United side, but hopefully we can start another unbeaten run from next Saturday.

We are not getting ahead of ourselves our main goal this season has always been to try and stay in the Championship and I am conscious Falkirk and Partick Thistle both picked up points and closed the gap on us ever so slightly but we just have to focus on the job in hand and not get too carried away in how well we have been doing, we played really well today against a very good Ross County team, we have been on a good run of form, the players are confident and they have proven to everyone that they are more than capable of handling the level that we are at.

The pleasing thing for me is the manner in which we have done so well, we did not come up to Dingwall today and tried to park the bus by sticking eleven men behind the ball and try to grind out a 1-0 victory. Already I have had compliments on how we played the game, we actually went and had a go at Ross County and speaking to their manager he said we are one of the few sides who have tried to do that. I’ve got a really good bunch of players and if we can go and finish of the job after the next 14 league matches and stay in the league that will be great, it will certainly be interesting if we can get a couple of more wins and put pressure on the teams above us.

There are no easy games in this division, it is so competitive, on any day, any team in our league are capable of beating each other. I’m just really proud of our players to be honest from our own point of view. Everybody had written us off before a ball was kicked and every predication which came up in the summer we were placed bottom of the league, obviously Brechin City the previous season only managed four points all season, we are already sitting on twenty three points with fourteen games to go and I firmly believe I have the confidence in the players that we have at the club that we can do what we set out to do and that is to stay in this league at the end of this season.
2 - 0
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Greenock Morton v Alloa Athletic

Another good performance from “The Wasps” especially in the second half where they bossed the game, 2-1 scoreline makes game look far closer than was, Morton only came into game in a last five minute flurry at end of game, a well deserved victory albeit a bizzare winning goal.

Now the tenth time “The Wasps” have come back from going behind this season and extends their unbeaten run to six games going back to losing last minute goal to Ross County on 1st December, 2018.

Against the run of play in the first half Morton took the lead and it was that man Chris Millar scoring his 4th goal of the season, 3 in the league all against Alloa. The biggest talking point of first half was just before half-time when Morton keeper Ryan Scully punched Alan Trouten in the box but no penalty given.

It had been a frustrating first half for “The Wasps” and again it took a goal against us and half-time talk from manager Jim Goodwin to turn the game back in Alloa’s favour. Alloa equalised from the spot in 66th minute after Ryan Scully had brought down Alan Trouten and he slotted home his fifth penalty from open play this season his 9th in succession he has scored for “The Wasps” including penalty shoot outs in Betfred & Irn Bru Cups.

“The Wasps” winning goal was bizarre, Andy Graham’s headed across goal and Rory McKeown tried to clear, his clearance struck Dario Zanatta and spun towards the goal, where Kerr Waddell then sliced his clearance into the net for an own goal.

After this Alloa had two great chances to increase their margin as they caught Morton on the break, substitute Greig Spence being in great position and just after this was blocked Iain Flannigan’s net bound shot was saved by Ryan Scully.

Ryan Scully brings down Alan Trouten for penalty
Alan Trouten scores 15th goal of season, 1-1
Andy Graham heads across goal for winning goal
Dario Zanatta celebrates bizarre winning goal
Greig Spence great chance to increase scoreline.
jim goodwin after home victory over morton

Delighted to get the win but I was really frustrated in the first half, I felt that Morton had one shot at goal and it ended with the ball in the back of our net, it was a scrappy goal, we didn’t compete well enough at the second ball, Chris Millar hits it well enough but I think we should have been doing better at it. So we went in at half-time very frustrated, we made a couple of tweaks to the formation and went with two up top instead of just one with Dario and played a diamond in the middle of the park and it worked well, and to the extent we spent 90% of the second half in Morton’s half of the pitch and we got our rewards.

We got the penalty obviously, Alan Trouten did brilliantly, the timing of his run, drawing the keeper and is brought down. The second goal is really fortuitous, I felt sorry for the kid, Kerr Waddell, I’ve scored plenty of own goals in my career so I know what it feels like, he obviously took his eye of the ball and sliced it into the back of the net, but we will take it no matter how it comes because I think on the whole balance of the play we deserved it to be honest and I think we should have had a stonewall penalty right on half-time as well, when Alan Trouten got completely wiped out by their goalkeeper, so justice from my point of view and I am really pleased for the players.

I was really angry at half-time and it’s the first time I have been for a long time, I am sick of giving teams a goal of a start and that’s been from the start of the season we have had to fight really hard to get any points on the board and that’s why I think we have had so many draws because we have had to come back into games which we should have won. Today I’m not going to  be too hard on the boys but next week I would like us to try and get our noses in front against St. Mirren and see how that feels.

The game at Firhill today was a massive game for both clubs and I said to the players a wee while ago let’s not worry about Partick Thistle and Falkirk, let’s just focus on ourselves and take it game by game and let’s start looking up the way, We are now only one point behind Dunfermline Athletic tonight, five behind Morton and seven points outside the Play-Offs, it would be absolute carnage if we managed to sneak into the Play-Offs, what would they do to try and stop us then! All joking aside we are just fully focused on our job which is to remain in the Championship this time next year, that is our main goal which has been since the start of the season and that still remains the case. We are not getting carried away, I said to the players to enjoy it, it was a fantastic comeback but we will come back fully focused again next week because we want to get into the next round of this season’s William Hill Scottish Cup, a great competition and we look forward to it, it’s a freebie for us St. Mirren will be massive favourites but again I fancy ourselves going there and I believe in the players and I think if we get things right on the day we can cause one of the upsets in the next round.

Six games undefeated I was conscious of the Ladbrokes Manager of the Month Award curse, people did speak about that but I am not a superstitious person, even at 1-0 down, I never really got to down because I have absolute faith in the boys, I still expected us to score, Alan Trouten now 15 goals for the season which is a fantastic return from the wee man but it is all about the team. The Manager of the Month Award is great but I said the other night it is a joint effort – great backroom staff, and you can be the best manager in the World but if the players don’t carry out your instructions then you are snookered. I accepted the award on behalf of all my staff and players and was delighted to receive it.
1 - 2
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Dunfermline Athletic v Alloa Athletic

Alloa Athletic manager Jim Goodwin once again highlighted the fact that his team never give in as they came back from a 2-0 deficit at half-time to clinch a merited draw having dominating the play in the second half, when remarkably Alloa keeper Neil Parry had not a save to make.

“The Wasps” for the ninth time this season came back from behind to clinch a draw or victory having been behind now 4 times v. Dundee United, 2 times v. Dunfermline Athletic and on 1 occasion against Inverness CT, Falkirk and Partick Thistle.

Alan Trouten was once again the man to turn the game back in Alloa’s favour, scoring the crucial first goal in the second half to give “The Wasps” a fighting chance. The game then turned on its head with the Dunfermline players looking visibly shaken and their fans starting to turn against them and their manager.

Alloa pushed for an equaliser as the home team tried to run down the clock, Alloa substitute played through the vital pass to put Alan Trouten though on goal and “Trouts” scored his 14th goal of the season.

Dario Zanatta has his shirt pulled in tussle
Connor Shields takes ball past two defenders
Lee Robinson turns round to see Alan Trouten knock the ball into the net
Sam Roscoe's header is cleared off the line
Greig Spence supplies killer pass
Alan Trouten scores 2 - 2
jim goodwin after 2-2 draw at east end park

It was a game of two halves, it definitely was, I thought Dunfermline were excellent in the first half, we were off it there was no doubt about that, we didn’t compete well enough, we didn’t show enough composure on the ball and it was just wave after wave of Dunfermline attacks, so we were delighted to get in at half-time at 2-0, albeit the two goals the first a great strike from Aidan Keena from twenty five yards out there was not a lot Neil Parry could do about it and for the second goal Iain Flannigan was very unfortunate, Neil made a good save and Iain following in, the ball hits him and goes in as an own goal.

We got in at half-time 2-0 down and changed the shape a wee bit and stressed the importance of the next goal and I really did feel if we got the next goal I felt the home fans would get a bit nervy and this would get the Dunfermline players nervy and that definitely seemed to be the case, we were much better in the second half and it was more like us in possession and out of possession, we competed a lot better and picked up far more second balls and I don’t think Neil Parry had a save to make in the second half, it was just fantastic.

I think that is now fourteen occasions they have come back during 2018 till now in 2019, that they have come back from a losing position being behind to pick up a point or three, I have just said to the players “You can be the best manager in the World, with the best group of players technically in the World, talk formations and tactics all you want, but the team spirit and the character and togetherness of the players we have at present you cannot buy that, you can’t coach that, that is something that comes from within”, they can be so proud of their effort in the second half, they never know when they are beat and never give in and that’s what I have been saying every week. We know we will come to some difficult places, we know we are playing against some very good teams but all I ask for is 100% commitment and that we never give in and you can see that from the players they just never give up which is fantastic.
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Alloa Athletic v Dundee United

“The Wasps” ended 2018 on a high after defeating Dundee United for the first time in the league for 58 years, their last victory was on 26th March, 1960 when “The Wasps” won 3-2. Back to back victories in last two league matches at home against Queen of the South & Dundee United has lifted Jim Goodwin’s men further up the league in eighth position, five points clear of Partick Thistle and six ahead of Falkirk.

The one disappointment for the Alloa fans was the fact that Jake Hastie was playing his last game for the club after his parent club Motherwell recalled him after impressing in his loan spell at the Indodrill Stadium, he has been excellent for “The Wasps”.

Dundee United knew how challenging the game would be having only drawn 1-1 earlier in the season. Although United pressed and had the best of the possession it took a “Worldy” goal to put them in front. Callum Booth striking a free kick into the top postage stamp of the net a goal straight out of the top drawer. However Alloa were never out of the game and once again showed they have great character to get back into the game. Alloa substitute Connor Shields nearly making an instant impact having replaced Kevin Cawley after 66 minutes.

The Alloa fans did not have to wait too long for the equaliser, stevie Hetherington sending in an inviting free kick into the box and Alloa captain Andy Graham rose to score his tenth goal for the club, outjumping the United defence.

As the clock ticked down it looked like it would be the fourth 1-1 draw between the sides this season before Dario Zanatta collected the ball wide on the left wing and ran 25 yards from goal, beating four Dundee United defenders and showed great composure to fire home his third goal in last three games for “The Wasps” a goal worthy to win any game and a huge victory for the club to end the year on a high.

Jake Hastie impressive on the wing
Callum Booth puts Dundee United ahead
Connor Shields goes close for "The Wasps"
Andy Graham heads home equaliser 1-1
Goal celebrations
Dario Zanatta takes on Dundee United defence
Dario Zanatta scores winning goal
Managers exchange handshakes
jim goodwin after victory over dundee united

I’m over the moon with the end result, I thought we battled very well today against a very good Dundee United side, they dominated the possession there was no doubt about that but I thought we defended really well although we were a lot deeper than we would have liked to have been we restricted them to long shots and having to put crosses into the box, apart from the one in the first half which Neil Parry tips onto the post and Andy Graham had to recover, apart from that one I can’t remember Neil Parry having to make too many saves for all the good play that Dundee United had.

We then went a goal down on the hour mark, I was disappointed in the build up to it, I thought Stevie Hetherington might have been given a free kick when he cleared the ball and the Dundee United player was a bit late on him which lead to the Dundee United’s free kick on the edge of our box, a wonderful free kick set play from Callum Booth he couldn’t have put it any more in the top corner of the net if he had tried.

Again we showed wonderful character, I have lost track of the amount of times that we have came back from a losing position to pick up a positive result whether it is a draw or victory, the players deserve huge credit for that. That game today could have easily have went to two or three after they got their goal but our never say die attitude again with every single one of my players putting in a hell of a shift. Yes we would have liked to be better on the ball and had a little bit more composure which we have showed in recent weeks but I give Dundee United credit for that because they pressed the life out of us and never allowed us time on the ball. The result is the most important thing and we can allow for a poorer performance in terms of possession wise if we can come away with results like that.

I thought our two goals were excellent, one thing I have been very critical of us as a team this season, the height of we have going into the box for corners and set pieces I don’t think we get on the end of things enough. Andy Graham who was outstanding all afternoon along with Sam Roscoe beside him, big Andy goes and gets the important header and got us back in the game, at that moment in time if the referee had blown his whistle I would have been delighted to get a draw at 1-1 each. However as the game was going on we were hitting them on the break a couple of times and Dario does fantastic, he has come into a really good rich vein of form in the last four or five games, that’s his sixth goal of the season but it is more than his goals it is what he offers the team in his holdup play and he is getting a lot braver as the weeks go on, he is starting to take hits from centre half’s, with having a striker up front who can make the ball stick and Dario always does that, he is always a threat running in behind, the compose he had in the final minute of the game to score the winning goal was really fantastic and I was delighted because his mum and dad wee over from Canada to watch their son, it makes it that little bit more special.

It’s been a great year 2018 getting promotion in the first place and now putting on a really good show in the Championship in the first half of the season, everybody expected us to be rock bottom, I think the only people who believed we were better than what we had been written about us within that dressing room, everybody wrote us off before the season, I don’t think teams are now writing us off, I think people are starting to give us the respect we deserve, I think I have players in our squad a number of other Championship squads would be delighted to have in their team. It is not only pleasing where we are but the manner we have achieved as well, we try to play the game in the right way by passing the ball and being entertaining to the fans and I think the fans are starting appreciate that as well , so a fantastic end to 2018, let’s stop looking over our shoulders and look up and after today’s result we can see what can be achieved.
2 - 1
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Alloa Athletic v Queen of the South

Victory against Queen of the South on the final Saturday which ended the 2nd Quarter of the season was huge, a great three points fully merited on the day, our third victory of the season moving us up the table to eighth position.

The opening goal did not come until the 63rd minute and what a beauty it was, Iain Flannigan sending a free kick past Alan Martin in the visitors goal for his seventh goal of the season.

Queen of the South had looked dangerous on the break but missed the presence of Stephen Dobbie who had broken the Alloa hearts at Dumfries earlier in the season in the 3-3 draw. Manager Jim Goodwin was concious of the fact that “The Wasps” have drawn too many games this season and could be five or six points better of.

Manager Jim Goodwin was not content on 1-0 scoreline and introduced both Adam Brown and Liam Burt to freshen up the attack and Liam Burt had an immediate effect with his goalbound shot parried out by keeper Alan Martin where Dario Zanatta was on hand to score the second and winning goal, which was no more than “The Wasps” deserved.

The victory was huge for Jim Goodwin’s team as they now go into the 3rd quarter of the season. The manager is pleased with the 1st half of the season but believes there is still more to come in the second half of the season.
2 - 0
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Partick Thistle v Alloa Athletic

This was “The Wasps” first visit to Firhill now named “The Energy Check Stadium at Firhill since Season 2005/06, the game was played in horrendous conditions, driving icy rain, sleet and hailstones along with a biting wind.

Credit to both teams for serving up a very good 2 – 2 draw, Partick Thistle took the lead after 18 minutes when Jake Hastie fouled Christie Elliott and Kris Doolan made no mistake from the spot. Six minutes later “The Wasps” were level after a fantastic run into the box by Alan Trouten before squaring the ball back for Kevin Cawley to score his 55th goal for the club.

Partick Thistle’s second goal came from another set play, Blair Spittal getting two chances from his free kick as his original effort was blocked but rebounded straight back to him to put the home side back in front.

Alloa stepped up a gear in the second half, bossing possession and deservedly struck their equaliser just before the hour mark, Dario Zanatta firing home past Jamie Sneddon in the home goal.

Alloa looked dangerous in possession and could have scored more but lacked a cutting edge in the final third of the pitch. They thoroughly deserved the draw, having the best chances of the second half, however it was another chance lost to claim full points. No change in the league positions with all five games in the Ladbrokes Championship all ending in draws.

jim goodwin after draw at firhill

Prior to the game, we fancied ourselves coming here and we felt if we got at them we would have a chance of winning the game. There was nothing in the game up until the penalty, I would need to see it back again, I don’t know but it looked relatively soft from my point of view, I look at the two goals, I think in the first instance we don’t need to go to ground in the box to give the referee a decision to make, I think it was the linesman on the far side who eventually gives it and for second one from the free kick, we again go to ground and give away a free kick 30 yards from goal and Partick get the break of the ball, the wall does it job stands up and takes it but it came straight back to Spittal and he hits it through a crowd of bodies and it was very difficult for Neil Parry to do anything with.

From our point of view, I think our two goals were really well worked, Alan Trouten does really well for the first goal and the second one had a good passage of play on the far side a bit of one touch football with Iain Flannigan involved with a fantastic strike from Dario Zanatta. I suppose having been 2-1 down at half-time if you had offered me a point then I would have been delighted but I think over the whole balance of play I felt we played the better football on the day, without really having any real clear cut chances I thought we just shaded it.

The conditions were not great but we still tried to play, we knew Partick would try and exploit the space in behind and I don’t think we handled it as well as I would have liked in the first half, we spoke about it at half-time and we had a better line in the second half and denied them that space in behind which restricted them in the second half. Full credit to the players they have their Christmas night out tonight and I’m pleased they can go and enjoy it on the back of a positive result, they deserve it. We are almost half way through the season and they have been absolutely brilliant and the pleasing thing for me is there is still more to come from this group of players.

We have looked at both our last two games which have been drawn and believed both games were winnable, we had looked to get four points which would have been a great return as it stands we have only taken two points but it was better drawing the games than getting beat, the players character cannot ever be questioned being 2-1 down last week and drawing the game, anyone at the game would tell you we should have won the game and here today I think a draw was probably a fair result.
2 - 2
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Falkirk v Alloa Athletic

It is unusal having been 2-0 down away from home against a full-time side that we might feel aggrieved only to pick up a point in a 2-2 draw. However, apart from “The Wasps” opening 30 minutes in this match they dominated play and deserved more than their sixth draw of the season. Alloa had not won a league match at Falkirk since 15th September, 1982, when they won 1-0 thanks to a Garry Murray goal, Alex Totten being the last Alloa manager to win at Falkirk in the league.

This was a missed opportunity to win at the Falkirk Stadium, Alan Trouten’s goal just prior to half-time was huge and gave the players the belief they could go on and win the match while the Falkirk team looked far more nervy and got deeper as the game went on.

In the second half Alloa dominated the play and always looked to get forward playing positive football and looked the team most likely to score.

It was that man Alan Trouten who would score the desrved equalising goal on 77 minutes, his 12th goal of the season, back heeling the ball past Leonardo Fasan in the Falkirk goal.

jim goodwin after draw at falkirk

I should be satisfied with our come back to gain a point after being two goals down but it is probably the most deflated I have felt after a game of football for a long time to be honest with you. I am really frustrated that we gifted Falkirk a two goal start, both sloppy goals as far as we are concerned. We needed to defend the first one better and stop the cross and be stronger with their striker in the box. The second one is one of the things we talked about at training on Thursday evening, Falkirk are a very direct football team and we knew they would want to put balls in behind us and we gave them too much space to do that and then Paul Paton gets a tap in, but after that we completely dominated the game, I thought we were well on top but the game is not all about possession stats it is goals that matter, but we completely controlled the game from there on and got a good goal just before half-time which was an important time to score.

Then in the second half I just felt we were camped in the Falkirk half for the majority of the game, the fact that I am sitting here now disappointed with a 2-2 draw speaks volumes. We have the kind of team I wanted to put together in the summer, I spoke to the boys when we were doing our recruitment and I was not willing to bring in guys who can’t handle the ball and not being wanting to play. We have a certain philosophy and I want to stick to it, I know it is a results business at the end of the day, some managers will grind out results but I do not want us to do it that way, I want to get good footballers in my team who can handle the ball and I would be really interested to see the stats today, we absolutely dominated the ball in terms of possession, I know it is what you do with it, I understand that and we can improve on that aspect we know we need to do more with the ball but I believe it would have been a travesty if we hadn’t come away with something from the game today.

I still think it is a massive point and how important it is going to be, who knows? I’m just frustrated at the cheap goals we are giving away, if we can cut out those cheap goals then we can give ourselves a chance to win a game, I always fancy us going forward, we will create chances like we have done today, Dario Zanatta’s shot that hit the post in the second half and we had other opportunities balls flashing across the face of the goal as Kevin Cawley did in the first half but someone has got to go and knock them in.

We are dropping a lot of cheap points and today we fancied ourselves coming here today, we thought if we defended well we would give ourselves a chance to win the game, but you cannot give any team a two goal start. Loads of positives to take from the afternoon and we will go to Firhill next week, not fearing no one. We now need to get another win on the board we have picked up far too many draws, wins are vital and hopefully we can achieve that next Saturday against Partick Thistle.
2 - 2
Full Time

Alloa Athletic v Ross County

It is never easy when you lose a game to a late winning goal, but Ross County have now done that on two occasions this season to “The Wasps” and it still hurts.

Nobody could argue that Ross County were the better team on the day and in Neil Parry Alloa Athletic had the best player on the park. His fine goalkeeping performance and the effort and commitment not to lose the game by the Alloa Athletic players deserved more. Ross County will look back on repeated wastefulness in front of goal while Alloa while accepting defeat did not get any of the big calls during the game.

With the clock running down and the Alloa defence being more solid in the second half, Neil Parry pulled off a very late save from Billy McKay which looked to have gained “The Wasps” a precious point. However into stoppage time and Josh Mullin’s cross into the back post was meet by Keith Watson to bullet home the winning goal.

The way the Ross County players celebrated showed how difficult “The Wasps” had made it for them.

jim goodwin after late defeat

That’s the second time Ross County have scored a very late goal against us in the league this season, in the first game of the season at Dingwall they scored a winner in the 88th minute and today it was the 91st minute, but I have no arguments about the end result, Ross County were the better team on the day. I haven’t had to say that too many times this season but sometimes you just need to hold your hand up and say the better team won.

 

I’m gutted for my back four and Neil Parry in particular who made some great saves and was voted “Man of the Match” , we defended brilliantly throughout the game, but we offered very little going forward and that is the disappointing thing from us point of view. We have to be realistic about where we are Ross County are a very good side, they had five or six key players missing and they can still bring in replacements that are of a very good standard.

 

No arguments, who ever finishes above them will win the league, I think it is as simple as that they are a good side and well worth their victory today.
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