Competition: Championship

Alloa Athletic v Dundee United

Jim Goodwin and his Alloa Athletic players know that league points will be hard to collect in the cHampionship this season, but nobody could deny “The Wasps” should have collected three points against Dundee United on Saturday.

This was the first league meeting between the clubs since Season 1959/60 when Alloa won 3-2 and although many have not given the part-time club any paudits this season, they have already proved they will be a match for ant side this season.

“The Wasps” started the game well and took the game to their full time ex Premier League opponents and could have been ahead within the first 20 minutes which they were on top. This was the first time this season Alloa were able to field a full squad including having a full seven players on the bench strenghened by the signing of Sam Roscoe from Aberdeen and Connor Shields from Sunderland on loan.

Against the run of play Dundee United took the lead when Paul watson headed home for his third goal in two games. Jim Goodwin’s men did not let this trouble them and Iain Flannigan went close with free kick off the cross bar

Then with nine minutes left “The Wasps” got the goal their play deserved, Iain Flannigan firing home a peach of a free kick after Dario Zanatta had been fouled by Stuart Murdoch.

Again the Alloa Athletic players had showed great character getting back into the game but they could not find a winner as United hold on, but on chances and opportunities this was two points which would have been so welcome and deserved.

jim goodwin after draw against dundee united

My thoughts on the game are I am slightly disappointed to be honest, I think that is testament to my players, because I feel it is two points dropped. I think anybody who was at the game today would have seen we were on top and I have spoken to one or two of their staff members and they felt we should have won the game as well. It is down to the players, people talk about us being part-time and people have written us off and they expect us to finish bottom of the league but I genuinely believe we have a group of players who are good enough to compete in this league and in the games we have played up till now barring the Ross County game at the start, I think we have been in every game, we conceded a late goal against Ross County but Ross County were the better team on the day and deserved to win the game, Morton here there were nothing between us, Inverness last Saturday we get a draw again not a great deal between the teams and today I felt we were the better team, and I’m not being disrespectful to Dundee United, I think they are a good side they have some very good players but over the whole piece we were camped in their half in the second half and the opening twenty minutes, they were hanging on at the end a wee bit in the last couple of minutes but that is just natural because we all know how valuable points are in this league. We hit the crossbar, worked their keeper a number of times in the second half, my only frustration is when we get into good areas in the final third of the pitch we need to show a little bit more quality with our final ball and be more clinical in front of goal.

Nobody can question our character, last Saturday at Inverness after going down to ten men and again today going behind when we were on top, it would be easy to think it is just not going to be our day, especially today having been on top for so long. I think that is the killer thing being a player, when you have dominated the game and just can’t buy a goal then the opposition go and score with a set piece. We did a lot of work during the week because Dundee United are a very big side, they clearly work hard on their set plays, any free kick from a wide area or a corner, their four big lads are coming up from the back and that’s Paul Watson scored three goals in his last two games all from set plays. They are very good at that and we are not the biggest of teams and it is a concern at the moment it is something to us that has been happening to often. I don’t mind if teams cut us open and score a great goal like the boy Chris Millar for Morton you have to hold your hands up and pat them on the back but we are gifting teams goals at the moment.

What a fantastic goal from Iain Flannigan, if there is a man you want to stand over a pressure moment in the game it is “Flanny”, he did the same with the late penalty at Inverness and today the quality he has to get the free kick up and over the wall into the top corner, the goalkeeper had no chance and he had already hit the crossbar a few minutes before that. I should be more satisfied with the point, before the game if you had offered me the draw I probably would have took it but looking back at the game and thinking about the chances we had the amount of possession we had I really genuinely feel as if its two points dropped.

It’s great to have options now in the squad for far too long in pre season and the opening part of this season we have had only 14 players in the squad and it was important that we strengthened the squad in those areas and we now have great options off the bench, the hard part now is picking an eleven because you know you are going to disappoint players very week, there are players on the bench who didn’t get on today and I know they will be disappointed but they have to stay strong and stick with the group because I now have options to change formations and it’s a good place for a manager to be. There needs to be competition for places anyway, nobody should be guaranteed a place in the team and the guys that are in the team need to know that if they drop below par there is somebody waiting in the wings to take their place.
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Inverness Caledonian Thistle v Alloa Athletic

Wasps gain first league points of season after battling the odds at Inverness on Saturday. Manager Jim Goodwin saying after the match “The guys stuck at their task and got their rewards”.

It is a game Inverness Caledonian Thistle had enough chances to win the game and would be disappointed to lose such a late equaliser, but Alloa always looked a threat and Dario Zanatta and Jake Hastie causing problems to the home defence and could have been on the scoresheet.

Alloa goalkeeper Neil Parry made important saves at crucial times and when the referee awarded the third penalty of the match, Iain Flannigan stepped forward and confidently dispatched the ball past Mark Ridgers to gain a draw for “The Wasps”.

 

jim goodwin at inverness

“I’m absolutely delighted. It feels like a win to be honest and we are really pleased to have got our first goals of the league campaign as well.

“People will probably look at the stats and there’s no doubt that if Inverness had taken their chances, particularly in the last 20 minutes of the game, they would have been out of sight. Neil Parry made a couple of incredible saves and that’s what he’s there to do at the end of the day.

“I knew that if the boys kept going we’d get an opportunity.

“I don’t know where Jake Hastie gets his energy from but he does brilliantly to get in the box and get the wrong side of the defender. After that, if you’re giving the Inverness penalties you’ve got to give that one as well.

“Iain Flannigan showed some great courage to step up and take the penalty. It’s not easy because there is a lot of pressure in that situation but if there is anybody you’d fancy to take it it would be him.”

On Alloa’s never-say-die attitude…

“There’s a lot of cliches about desire and togetherness, and the players always, always show that. But we are not a bad footballing side either.

“For five or six minutes after we went down to ten men we probably had more of the ball than Inverness did. It’s the way we play and the way we train, and that’s not going to change.

“There were so many good individual performances. I could rhyme off every player.

“I’m just delighted for the players because we felt hard done by up at Ross County with the late winner there, and against Morton we felt as if we deserved the point.

“We are just delighted to get off the mark. It’s a tough league and we will have a tough job on our hands to stay in it, so every point is going to be extremely valuable.”

On Karadachki red card…

“He gets the wrong side of the centre-forward for the first one and I think it’s a deserved yellow card because he would have been through on goal. The second one is more difficult because there are a lot of things going on in the box.

“I didn’t see it clearly to be honest but if you manhandle someone in the box you give the referee a decision to make. I thought by the players’ reaction that the referee probably got it right.

“He’ll miss next weekend but I’m not too concerned. It’s an area of the pitch we are trying to strengthen anyway because we are very short.

“Liam Dick went in there alongside Andy Graham and looked very comfortable, and Reis Peggie came on and was excellent.

“It’s an opportunity for other players to step in and make a mark, and I think some of them did that.”

On new signings Zanatta and Burt…

“I have to give a mention to Dario Zanatta, who led the line particularly well on his debut. It was a very lonesome job up there for the majority of the second half but through his work-rate and his commitment he made a really big effort to helping us towards that vital point.

“If I can get one more centre-half in I will but I think we have enough players in there who can fill in defensively.

“At the top end of the pitch, you need to have as many options as possible.

“Liam Burt is a fantastic young player. Rangers have high hopes for him and we will do all we can to get him some game time while he’s here.

“Dario is the same. We have a good history over the last couple of years of bringing young players in and giving them a chance.

“They go on to their parent clubs better and kick on into the first team, or go on to find other full time clubs themselves.

“We are delighted to give them the opportunity. They have got a great attitude and they will settle in very well.”
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Alloa Athletic v Greenock Morton

Defeats in our opening two league games of the new season have been hard to take, losing such a late goal at Dingwall and looking on top in the second half yesterday at home against Greenock Morton before Chris Millar unleashes a goal fit to win any game. The Alloa players are not getting the results their efforts merit at present but at the end of the day everybody knows it is goals that count.

Manager Jim Goodwin knows this season was never going to be easy and is working tirelessly to bring in new faces to strenghen his squad, knowing we will need to be even better than last season to make things happen and silence the doubters who are expecting Alloa to struggle.

In this league chances are going to be limited, but there was little between the teams yesterday, especially in the second half when “The Wasps” dominated possession but lacked the killer punch in last third of the pitch. Jake Hastie was a consistent threat on the left flank of the pitch driving at the Morton defence, but we needed to get an equalising goal when we were on top in the second period.

Indeed the turning point could have been when Greig Spence was flattened in the penalty box by Morton defender Rory McKeown which looked a very strong case for a penalty. Having survived this scare Chris Millar’s second goal of the game with ten minutes left was a body blow, at that stage against the run of play but a fantastic strike.

jim goodwin after morton take the points in alloa

It was a hard result to take, the first goal in this league is very important, particularly between the two sides today ourselves and Greenock Morton where there was not a great deal between the teams. Both goals are disappointing from our point of view, the first goal in particular I thought we could have defended a lot better, Chris Millar broke his way through into the 18 yard box far too easily, a decent finish from his point of view and the second goal was a thirty yard strike right into the top corner, there is not a great deal you could do to stop that, but other than that there was not a lot between the two sides. It would be very easy for me to come in here after last Saturday and here today against Greenock Morton if we had been miles apart and we were getting overrun and teams had been far better than us, it would be far easier to take, at the moment that’s very frustrating because that is just not the case, I feel we should have had a point on the board from Dingwall, losing a goal so late last week in the 88th minute, and today there was nothing between the teams, but fair play to Morton they are the ones sitting with the result, we have now had two league games and nothing to show for it.

I think in the second half the boys went out and done exactly what we asked of them, in terms of being patient on the ball, our movement from side to side and getting in behind them, I thought Jake Hastie on the far side got the better of the right back four or five times, maybe we are just lacking the final ball in the final third, we definitely didn’t work their goalkeeper enough, it was difficult Morton dropped off a bit in the second half and had pretty much ten men behind the ball for long spells and we were trying our best to break them down but unfortunately we just couldn’t find the opening, I felt at 1-0 if we had got the next goal I really felt we could have gone on and won the game but it wasn’t the case, but it was a sore one to take.

The disappointing thing for me is we are not really surprising anyone, people expected us to lose at Dingwall, people probably expect us the lose every game in this Division, they look at how difficult the league was for Brechin City last season but I know we are better than that and that’s the real frustrating thing for me and I think we should have at least a couple of points on the board but that is very easy for me to say those things but we have to go and do it on the pitch to do that we have to be a little bit better and creative in the final third and that’s all that is letting us down at the moment, defensively the boys have been great as I said it was a mistake for the first goal today but the second goal was a fantastic strike, other than that I can’t remember Neil Parry having a great deal to do.

When Greig Spence was flattened in the penalty box it looked a stonewaller, from where I was and that was at 1-0, I just don’t understand, the linesman who is on the same side of the pitch as me, the referee had a good view of it, Greig is in front of the defender and the defender clearly barged into the back of him, I don’t understand how that was not given. If that was given at 1-0 and hopefully we had went and converted it to make it 1-1, it was game on again but those are the decisions that you need the referee to be brave enough to give, it is very easy to give fouls in and around the middle of the pitch but the big decisions which they are paid to make, unfortunately I think they got that one wrong.
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Ross County v Alloa Athletic

jim goodwin after late defeat at dingwall

I’m gutted for the players to be honest, for the amount of effort and hard work they put in the game today, I think it merited a point, we certainly didn’t do enough to win the game, apart from Greig’s chance in the first half we never had any other clear cut chances after that but I thought we defended really well at times, I thought our shape was good, we were frustrating Ross County in the second half, we knew they would be able to make changes they have a big squad and they brought some bodies on who can change it up, Brian Graham coming on made a difference.

The goal against was just a lapse of concentration at the end both wingers matched their full backs all the way for the duration of the game, it was a big learning curve for young Jake, going forward he has been absolutely brilliant since he has come in from Motherwell, we are very lucky to get him on loan, going forward he has been absolutely outstanding and that is just a learning curve for him on his path to bigger and better things.

We were hanging on there is no doubt about it, I think I am very honest in my assessment and I think Ross County were certainly the better team in the second half they were pinning us back, we knew they would they are a good team they are favourites to win the league, so it was important for us to come up here and be compact and hard to beat. I felt we could have done a bit better on the ball, that was my only frustration today. I thought we could have utilised the width of the pitch and put a couple of more passes together. The first half, I thought we were excellent there was nothing in the game in the first half but after 65, 70 minutes we seemed to run out of steam and unfortunately I don’t have the options in the squad at the moment to go and freshen things up, Kevin Cawley had a back spasm in the warm up, that ruled him out, Iain Flannigan was suspended and we have another couple of injuries, young Reis Peggie came on and did fine but it is what it is – we are really disappointed it is going to be a big part of the season going forward where we have a group of players who were used to winning last season and now it is going to be how can we pick ourselves up and bounce back and go again and look forward to next weekend and look to put things right.

Our players are fit but there comes a stage in the game we were just getting penned back and we were desperate for the final whistle, the timing of the goal was disappointing, if you lose the game 3 or 4 nil you hold your hand up, but over the piece today I felt we deserved a draw and a point, albeit Ross County were the most threatening going forward.

I am still trying to get more players in to strengthen the squad, we have a couple who are just nearly over the line, it’s just one of these ones it is not done till it’s done! We thought we would have at least one of them in before today’s game, Ahmed Aloulou should be fit again for next week, Iain Flannigan will return after suspension and David Galt is still off with a virus he has had for the last month or so, we are missing big players when you have such a tight squad a players as we have it is difficult when you lose key players but no excuses fair play to Ross County they are one of the favourites to win the league, we wish them well but still disappointed we didn’t take a point.
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Dumbarton v Alloa Athletic

“The Wasps” returned to the Ladbrokes Championship for Season 2018/19 after “Keeping Believing” and getting their rewards in the end, having dominated the Championship Play-Off Final over the two legs but found themselves behing to Stuart Carswell’s wonder strike in the first leg, until deep into time added on at the end of the second leg when Ross Stewart scored his tenth goal of the season for “The Wasps” since joining them on loan from St. Mirren in the January transfer window.

Jordan Kirkpatrick was then “The Wasps” hero in extra-time when he rounded Dumbarton defender Stuart Carswell and fired an goal worthy of winning the tie high past Dumbarton keeper Scott Gallacher.
Alloa were backed by a fantastic, noisy visiting support who backed their team throughout the game in confident voice, which spurred the team on to victory.

 

jim goodwin on clinching promotion back to the championship

We had a great chat on Friday night about the number of times we’ve come back from behind to get results. The one that stood out in all our minds, was three or four months ago when we were a goal down to Forfar in the 88th minute, then Kevin Cawley equalised and Kris Renton got the winner in the 93rd minute.

Nine times in all we have came back from losing positions this season, that’s testament to the players character, or call it resilience, call it never say die  spirit, but they’ve got it and I’m over the moon for them because they never stopped going for it, they never know when they are beat. I won’t lie, there were times when I wondered if the goal would come, and I knew time was running out but they just kept on going, I knew they would never stop, but it did and I also knew when it did and we went into extra-time, then we would go on and win, because fitness wise I doubt if there is a fitter part-time team out there,  I think over the two games who got what we deserved.

These boys are a credit every single one of them, the ones that started, the ones who came off the bench and the ones who didn’t make this game, we lost a couple of key players in the build up to the game, that itself was a motivation for the other players. They deserve their celebrations I hope they enjoy their night, we will meet again on Tuesday and we’ll look forward now to next season, when the one thing I can promise is that we won’t go up there and grind out nil-nil results, we’ll go and try and play football.

It was very hard to find space and gaps Dumbarton were very organised they almost play with a back six, so with twenty minutes to go we had to throw caution to the wind and move Andy Graham into the box, if we lost 2-0 or 3-0  at least we had a go and let’s try and win the game.

The winning goal from Jordan Kirkpatrick, it’s just what he is capable of the loan signings I brought in January have definitely worked and made a positive impact to us but I don’t want to single any one player there were so many good performances.

I’m over the moon for everybody connected to the club the board right down to the fans we have a lot of volunteers behind the scenes who really do a great job as well and importantly pleased for the players because you don’t get these kind of experiences often and I hope they cherish the moment tonight and enjoy it.

It’s the best moment of my short managerial career there is no doubt about that, I certainly experienced some good moments as a player but this is different you put an awful lot more into things as a manager, you never stop thinking about the game and I can take a lot of satisfaction but I couldn’t do it without the fantastic staff behind me, help from the board and the chairman it is a real collective effort.

Now going into the Championship I have a good core of players I want to take with me, I will sit down with them next week and make them offers and hope they will want to come with us, we just want to go and play the exact same way, I believe in the players I believe they are good enough to go and take teams on, pass the ball the way we do, it’s the way we train so we wouldn’t look to play any different. We will try and add more quality to the squad, I have already identified one or two whom I have spoken to, we are now a more attractive proposition now going into the Championship.
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Alloa Athletic v Dumbarton

In the Ladbrokes Championship Play-Off Final 1st Leg played at The Indodrill Stadium on Wednesday night, “The Wasps” were frustrated and disappointed with the result, going down 1-0 to a spectacular winner which gave the visitors, Dumbarton, something to hang onto which the defended for their life.

Alloa had started the game on top and were creating problems for the Dumbarton defence, before against the run of play they scored a goal worthy of winning any game. Alloa kept up the pressure and Jordan Kirkpatrick was hugely unfortunate to see his effort come back off the far post. Worse was to follow for Jordan just after the half hour he had to go off with a back injury.
Dumbarton sat deep and invited “The Wasps” to break them down giving jim Goodwin’s team a lot of possession but finding it difficult to find that cutting edge.
“The Wasps” continued to look for the equalising goal which their play more than merited but although getting success on the right side of the park from the wide areas, the Dumbarton defence were lapping up the high balls into the area.
Callum Smith looked a threat and must of thought on more than one occasion he was going to score but last ditch tackling and defending was to deny Alloa a goal.
It was to be a night of frustration for “The Wasps” watching the team give everything and playing the better football but on the night we just couldn’t break them down and got no breaks in front of goal.
Dumbarton will be confident having secured a 1-0 victory in the first Leg, but this tie is far from over and on the day “The Wasps” are capable of beating any team. First goal on Sunday will be vital and if the Wasps can secure the opening goal it certainly will be “Game On”.

 

jim goodwin after 1st leg advantage goes to dumbarton

Frustrated with the result tonight, would be the best word to sum up my feelings after the match, the boys did everything that we has asked of them, to go and play football, play the ball out from the back, play through the different thirds of the pitch we did all that and in the opening five minutes we were camped in the Dumbarton half and they get a breakaway and their first shot of the game goes in the top corner, so it was hard to take at the time but the reaction of the players was excellent. They kept on doing the right things, they never panicked and were very patient in the build up, we just couldn’t break them down, and that was the most frustrating thing about it.

Dumbarton are very good at being compact, sitting deep and defending the box well and I thought they done that well, it is difficult we just need to keep going and “Keep Believing” that we can get back in the game, we will go to Dumbarton with the same mindset that we will still try to play football the way we think it should be played and hopefully get a break of the ball in the box because we had some good opportunities tonight – Jordan Kirkpatrick forced their keeper to make a great save in the first half when he tips to ball onto the post and later Callum Smith  had two or three good opportunities, one on one chances where I have to give credit to Craig Barr who slipped back in and got a very good block and then the second one the keeper makes a good save so on another night we would have scored at least one goal but unfortunately tonight we couldn’t quite do that.

At the goal the TV evidence suggests the ball went out of play but I was right there and it was an obvious decision in my opinion, I’m not one for publically disagreeing with referees but it is difficult when you have the fourth official standing in the same position as me, in fairness to the linesman, I think “Flanny” is in the way of the ball but it was clearly out of play and its one of these ones if you are unsure you go the way of the defender but six or seven seconds after that the ball drops to Stuart Carswell who was an ex teammate of mine, I know I will not hear the end of that one, but I think he has two shots in his whole career and has two goals, so it’s incredible  it was a hell of a strike but that’s how football goes – sometimes you are better being lucky that good.

Tonight I just wanted the lads to go out and play the way they had all season, I would like to see the possession stats and shots on goal, I can’t remember Neil Parry having much to do and I think their goalkeeper was the busier of the two keepers, I think we dominated possession of the ball I think in was 70/30 or something, the only thing that was missing was a goal. We will go away analysis the game again but I don’t expect anything different from Dumbarton, they get an early goal, sit in and grind out results, fair play to them they are good at it but I would rather my team go about business in the way we did and try and play football in the correct manner and hopefully we can get a goal on Sunday then Dumbarton will need to come out to try and win the game but at the moment I expect them to have a similar game plan to what they had tonight for the last eighty minutes of the game.
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Raith Rovers v Alloa Athletic

The Wasps” reached their fifth Play-Off final on Saturday at Stark’s Park after being the only team to defeat Raith Rovers in the league this season. Nobody could deny “The Wasps” were the better team over the two legs, winning 4-1 on aggregate. Having recorded a 2-0 victory earlier in the week at The Indodrill Stadium in the first leg, a scoreline which many on the evening believed could have been extended and the visitors were let off lightly.

Raith Rovers started the second game at Starks Park on the front foot looking for an early goal to give them a lifeline but the Alloa defence stood solid. Indeed the breakthrough came at the other end which silenced the home support. Raith Rovers captain Kyle Benedictus holding back Ross Stewart to give away the free kick, which Jordan Kirkpatrick executed with great style.

It was a brilliant free kick from Jordan Kirkpatrick, who the previous Saturday at the other end of the ground was only denied by a finger tip save by Graeme Smith.

Within seven minutes of the second half, Raith Rovers finally managed to get the ball past Neil Parry in the Alloa goal and they were desperate to try and get a second to the extent four of the Rovers players tried to wrestle the ball quickly from Neil Parry which resulted in a the referee issuing 3 yellow cards.

With time running out and still losing 3-1 on aggregate, Ross Stewart, who had ran himself into the ground scored the killer 4th goal to end Barry Smith’s side chance to “Roar Back”.

Jordan Kirkpatrick scores free kick to open the scoring (Picture credit - Fife Photo Agency)
Ross Stewart makes it 4-1
Fantastic Alloa support at Starks Park
jim goodwin after reaching playoff final

Delighted with our overall performance in both legs of the Semi-Final Tie, we were the better team over the two legs; I don’t think anybody would disagree with that or the end result. Raith Rovers are a fantastic team and came so close to winning the League title, so we knew we would have to be at our best, but the players stood up to everything, to a man, right from the strikers back to the goalkeeper, they were outstanding, even the substitutes when they came on contributed and made an impact doing what you ask them to do and I thought we managed the games particularly well at times, particularly after conceding an early goal in the second half there was still plenty time on the clock from a Raith Rovers point of view to get another goal, we had to stand up to that and I just thought it was a great performance. We knew Raith Rovers would throw everything at us in the second half, we discussed it at half-time and we would look to pick our right moments to counter attack and get at them and I thought we did that really well. Obviously the last goal killed them off and we could all breathe an awful lot easier after that.

It was a brilliant free-kick from Jordan Kirkpatrick only a week ago at the other end of the ground when their goalkeeper made a wonderful save but “Kirky” tried his luck again today and I don’t think he could have hit it any sweeter, however the kick-off after it was interesting, but the goal was a great moment in the game. There have been some very good individual performances from the lads but collectively as a unit they have been excellent, to be the only team to have come here all season and get a win it speaks volumes of what we put into it.

Ross ran himself into the ground and it was fitting he got his reward with the winning goal, he has been outstanding since he came and joined us on loan, he is probably up there with the best strikers in the league there is no doubting about that, personally I believe he can move on to the next level, I think St. Mirren are lucky to have him, there is still a bit of developing to do for the big man but he has so many good attributes, he has been excellent for us as have a number of the other players as well. We have a number of our boys who have been named in the PFA Team of the Year which speaks volumes of what their piers think of them as well.

Delighted but we now have another difficult game to look forward to next week so it is important we recover properly do the right things and get rid of all the knocks and bumps that we have picked up over the last couple of legs and make sure we are right to go again on Wednesday. I think Steve Aitken is one of the most under rated managers in Scotland, for the job that he has done with Dumbarton, to keep them in that league for the number of years he has is incredible. I think Brechin City showed how difficult it is when you go up to the Championship as a part time club, so I have the greatest respect for Steve Aitken and we know they are a very well organised difficult team to break down, I have watched them a couple of times live towards the end of the season and I have footage of them I have also been watching in preparation of next week, so we have done our homework we know what we have to do but I have said it before and I will say it again “ We don’t fear anybody” and I really didn’t care who we got be it Arbroath, Raith or Dumbarton, I know if our boys reach the level as they are capable of they are capable of beating any of these teams. To do that we have to defend as well as we have done up till now and we have players in the forward areas who can hurt anyone, we are really looking forward to it, we go with no apprehension what so ever and look forward to the game.

Our support was great today, we are always grateful to our supporters, we are a small club but they can make a big difference and I thought they were excellent today, I would also like to say thank you to the Raith Rovers fans who stuck around after the game as well, I thought that was a nice touch and a class act from them as well, I have never seen that before the players certainly appreciated it but I think that speaks volumes how much they appreciated what we had done against difficult full time opposition not just how we managed to grind out the result but the way we tried to play the game overall over the two legs, let’s just hope we can now go and get the job done next week.
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Alloa Athletic v Raith Rovers

Our aim at the start of this season was to get promoted and we still have a chance to do that, last night’s 2-0 victory over Raith Rovers in the Championship Play-Off Semi-Final 1st Leg puts us in a good position, but there is still a lot of football still to be played, the tie is far from over yet.

Raith Rovers, who would have been disappointed that they did not win the League One Championship on Saturday when “The Wasps” held them to a 0-0 draw, only made the one change to their team Ross Matthews starting in stead of Dario Zanatta. The Alloa Athletic team had three changes, returning to the starting line up were Stevie Hetherington, Iain Flannigan and Jamie McCart as Jim Goodwin set about winning the first leg tie. The opening goal in these games is always important and Raith keeper Graeme Smith will not want to look back at the highlights as he attempted clear the ball and was robbed by the alert Ross Stewart who took the opportunity to open the scoring.

Alloa Athletic were then suffer a set back when their recently voted “Player of the Year” Stevie Hetherington suffered what appears to be medial ligament damage and his season was over.

Raith Rovers best effort of the evening came after 55 minutes when Jason Thomson’s effort climbed over the bar as they looked to get into the game.

Three minutes later Alloa increased their lead after great work by Kevin Cawley, who passed inside for Iain Flannigan to score his ninth goal of the season.

Alloa were looking to increase their lead and Graeme Smith after his initial mistake for the opening goal, redeemed himself in the second half to keep the scoreline at only 2-0.

 

jim goodwin after 2-0 victory in first playoff leg

From start to finish I thought we were excellent tonight, it was a very professional performance, and we defended really well and looked particularly dangerous going forward. The only thing I could be critical of is one thing, we could have been three or four nil up to be honest with you, I think their keeper has made a couple of good saves in the second half, but if you had offered me 2-0 before the game I would have bitten your hand off.

It puts us in a great position but I will be saying the exact same thing as every manager does in the Play-Off’s -“ Its Only Half-Time”. A two nil lead is a dodgy lead, at 2-0 ahead we are in a good position, much better than being two down, but I am aware of the fact that if Raith Rovers get an early goal on Saturday “Its game on again”.

So we know on Saturday we will need to be disciplined, we will set up to be hard to beat obviously, and that’s two clean sheets in back to back games against Raith Rovers which I don’t think many teams have did that against them this season. There were some great individual performances tonight but I don’t want to name names because collectively as a unit we looked solid, so it is fair to say I am really pleased.

Raith Rovers will be disappointed after the weekend and not having won the league it is difficult to pick yourself up after that disappointment but I just thought at 2-0 the message to the boys on the park was not to just be happy with 2-0, particularly when they went down to ten men I felt they were there to be got at. We did try, we had a couple of half chances, Kevin Cawley hit one and the keeper made a good save, Jon Robertson hit a shot which was deflected and the keeper managed to save it with his leg, Callum Crane broke well into the box but didn’t get his shot away and there were other opportunities we could have put the game to bed but as it stands right now we are in a good position but Raith Rovers are a very good side with dangerous players in their forward areas and we will need to make sure our concentration levels are the same on Saturday as they were tonight.

Unfortunately Stevie Hetherington looks like he has picked up a medial ligament injury and likely to be out for next six weeks before he is back jogging, really disappointed for Stevie, he has been our “Player of the Year this Season” and consistency wise he has been excellent, so he is a big loss to us there is no doubt of that but at the same time Jon Robertson comes in and slots in brilliantly, that is the luxury I have as manager we have put a great squad together and at times like this when you lose players like Stevie Hetherington and PJ Crossan, we still have players who can come in and fill the gaps and we don’t look any lesser a team, so I am privileged to be in that position.
2 - 0
Full Time

Alloa Athletic v Brechin City

Saturday’s Play-Off Final 2nd Leg v. Brechin City was a rollercoaster of a match which had everything for the fans who attended the game and others who watched live on BBC ALBA, the game was enthralling with both teams on the offensive from the kick-off, it was an incredible game and a great advert for the game of football.

Just as one team looked to have the advantage, there would be another twist and by the end of the regulation 90 minutes “The Wasps” lead 4-3, making the aggregate score 4-4. So to extra time for the second week in a row for both teams, again both teams had chances to score but with time running out it looked like the outcome of the game would be determined by penalty kicks.

Dylan Mackin rises to make it 4-3 on the day for “The Wasps”
Well done to all the players of both sides who stepped forward to take a penalty kick, but as always there has to be a winner and unfortunately for Alloa Athletic with the score at 4-4 after the initial five penalties each taken it went to sudden death and Iain Flannigan’s spot kick struck the post and went past, James Dale then had the opportunity to win the game for Darren Dod’s team, which he converted.

Losing a penalty shoot-out is always hard to take, it has been a fantastic season with so many highs to remember but it was not the end we had hoped for. It’s devastating as we put so much into the game, to finish the season second best club in the league, we knew counted for nothing, we’re bitterly disappointed , so neat yet still so far. Good luck to Brechin City as they head to the SPFL Championship next season.

 

jim goodwin after penalty heartache

Very difficult to put into words, it is definitely the lowest I have felt in my 20 years as a professional and being involved in the game, I can’t remember feeling as bad as this and I have suffered relegation in the past in my career.

Devastated for everyone connected to the club, the supporters, the board of directors, but more than anything I am absolutely gutted for the players, they have done so well this season, they have shown how good a team they are today, I felt we gave a better account of ourselves today than we did on Wednesday night, which is obviously pleasing but gutted for the players – they gave me absolutely everything and I couldn’t ask for anymore.

I think we proved over the season that we were the second best team in the league, being runners up to Livingston, but we knew that counted for nothing going into the Play-Off’s, we knew we had to be at our best on the day. I think we just have to give credit to Brechin City, I don’t want to over analyse the game too much, we were extremely disappointed to lose some of the goals we did today, but I don’t think today is the time to look at those type of things. I would like to congratulate Darren Dods, his back room staff and players and wish them well in the Championship next season.

The game was a much better spectacle than what Wednesday night’s game was  which could not have been great viewing on BBC ALBA, but tonight was a good advert for our league, I think it was two teams that gave it a right good go, every player out there was dead on their feet at the end, there wasn’t one player who came off who could have given any more but when it goes to penalties it is a lottery at the end of the day, you might as well toss a coin and do away with them, somebody has to miss, I feel gutted for Iain Flannigan he has been a fantastic player for us all season, for that to happen to him, I don’t think he deserved that, but I don’t believe anybody does, fair play to all the players who had the bottle to go and take a penalty, that is a hard thing to do, I’ve been in that position myself and it is very difficult to keep yourself calm, we just have to go again and come back stronger next season it’s as simple as that.

Nobody in the dressing room said a lot after the game because as you can imagine you could hear a pin drop in the dressing room, the boys are absolutely gutted and I am for them as well, but I did say to them they should try and remember what this feels like, we kind of experienced it at Livingston a few weeks back when they clinched the league, but in fairness to Livingston they deserved to win the league, so we must use this next year and make us stronger and try and make sure we can go and win the league next year and not having to rely on going up through the Play-Off’s.

 
4 - 3p
Full Time

Brechin City v Alloa Athletic

Having done so well to reach this season’s Championship Play-Off final, “The Wasps” would be hugely disappointed by their display in the first leg at Glebe Park, Brechin. Once again, Alloa will need to come back in the 2nd leg from a 1-0 deficit from the 1st Leg. On the night the team had a lot of possesion but created little in front of goal and never really looked like scoring. The best chance of the evening for “The Wasps” fell to Kevin Cawley but he never took it cleanly and it was blocked and cleared to safety, soon after the home side scored the evening’s only goal through Elliot Ford, his first goal for the club.

Iain Flannigan who was making his 100th first team appearance for “The Wasps” certainly had a strong penalty claim turned down when he was fouled inside the penalty box by two Brechin City defenders, the referee ignoring, and took no action.

On Saturday we have the chance to maintain our 100% record in Play-Off finals having appeared in 3 previous finals in 2005/06, 2012/13 & 2014/15 and have a perfect record of winning over the 2 legs, let’s get behind the team a they look to extend that record to winning 4 in a row.

 

jim goodwin after another first leg hurdle to overcome

ery disappointing tonight, very similar to last week’s Semi-Final 1st Leg at Airdrie to be honest with you, we didn’t compete well enough, didn’t play well enough, and Brechin City thoroughly deserved their win.

We just didn’t play well, the only positive we can take is the fact that it is only 1-0, they also had a great opportunity at a corner when they struck the crossbar. We didn’t work their keeper at all, I can’t remember him having a save to make. It’s disappointing, but we have been here before , we know what we are capable of at home and our pitch will allow us to play the type of football we want to play, this pitch up here isn’t conducive to that, we had to change the way we played a bit, by going more direct and I think that played into Brechin’s hands, but I give them great credit they deserved their victory and we will pick ourselves up and go again on Saturday.

We know we are capable of winning, there is not an issue there at all, we remain positive, we will come in tomorrow night, and we know if we reach the standards we are capable of, we will be fine and win the game, but we have to do the basics better, I thought some of our decision making tonight was poor, but I don’t want to go over the top because it is only half-time, we are only 1-0 down and we know we can do better and they will do better again on Saturday.

The players are an honest bunch, they know themselves they didn’t reach the standards which we have set at this club, they are hurting just now, but the tie is far from over.
1 - 0
Full Time