Competition: Championship

Alloa Athletic v Hibernian

The Alloa Athletic players were finally rewarded for their efforts over the season at The Indodrill Stadium when they defeated Hibernian, who are still chasing a return to the Premiership and will face Dundee United in the William Hill Scottish Cup Semi-final next Saturday, this after narrowly failing to lift the League Cup when they lost a last minute goal to lose 2-1 to Ross County recently. The Wasps won 1-0 through a Michael Duffy goal just prior to half-time, which was called controversial, but was clearly over the line. Although Hibernian had more possesion in the second half, in was Alloa again who could have extended their lead with efforts from Michael Duffy & Mitch Megginson. Jack Ross will now look to build on this result and end the season on a high.

 

jack ross after victory over hibernian
I am delighted for the players today, because of the result people will point to things must have been different from previously but that is how we have played in the main over the last three or four months, particularly in a lot of home games here at the Indodrill Stadium, but the difference today was things fell for us that have not done previously and that’s the fine margins which you need to get a positive result. I am really, really happy for the players, they deserve that and they are going out of this league taking a big scalp in beating Hibernian, because it is a scalp because Hibernian are a huge club with full internationals playing in their team, with aspirations of going on and winning a major cup and getting back to the Premiership this season, so to get a win from the game we had to be good and we were today.
I had no concerns about my team not being up for the game, this week in training they have been terrific and the response I have had from them since coming here has been excellent, we have made individual mistakes at times of course and we have carried a lit bit of misfortune which at times has prevented us from having a good go at staying in the league, they got rewards for their efforts today which at times this season hasn’t always been the case.
Going ahead in the game was good because we haven’t went ahead in many games, and we are also a good side on the counter with the players we have, a lot of times this season we have found ourselves behind and we have been chasing games and leaving the game more open, so to go ahead helped us, I was not sure the goal had been given, because the way things have been going for us this season – we have hit posts, had fantastic saves, snow, a whole lot of things, so getting the goal and going ahead was good for us, it meant that we came in at half time in a really positive frame of mind and had something to hold on to and we played that way in the second half and arguably had we gave up a lot of territory and possession but had the better chances in the second half.
The ball could have been five yards the wrong side of the line and I don’t care, I think we have deserved it, the players have deserved it and I think Michael Duffy in particular deserved it because he has been terrific for us and had a lot of misfortune at times, so pleased for him.
It is great to get that first home win, before we had our fate decided and even after the message was “Let’s get that first home win”, nobody at the club wants to go through a whole season without a home win whatever level you are playing, and it reflects on everybody at the club, we all wanted it – our last two home games we have lost in injury time against Raith Rovers and should have beaten St. Mirren here so we got what we deserved today and its nice to put it to bed, that tea players didn’t deserve to have that tag of never having won at home before today this season.
1 - 0
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Livingston v Alloa Athletic

Relegation to Division One for next season was confirmed for “The Wasps” after yesterday’s match at the Tony Macaroni Arena in Livingston, which ended 0-0. However like so many of the recent games for the club, the players commitment and effort could not have been questioned, but the lack of a cutting edge in front of goal has cost the team this season with only 17 league goals from 32 matches.

Yesterday was another day where the margin in taking something from the game was at it’s finest, prior to the match the pitch was heavily watered which made the surface slippy for both sides which got worse in the second half after a period of torrential rain. The game was never a classic, but “The Wasps” will look back at chances in the second half for Michael Duffy, Iain Flannigan & Isaac Layne which could have claimed a winner, before pushing forward with five minutes to go, they got caught on the break, which provided the games biggest talking point, Steven Hetherington tried to get back to clear from the on rushing Jordan Sheerin, whom he tripped as the player looked in a great position to score.

The referee, Alan Muir, red carded Steven Hetherington and awarded a free kick on the edge of the box, which was eventually cleared and the game ended 0-0 which meant Alloa Athletic will be playing their football in the SPFL Division One next season. The players however still have four big matches remaining this season in The Championship, including three at home when they will look to end their season on a high, while the planning for next season must start now.

 

jack ross at livi

It’s probably been the story for us for two or three months now, that we haven’t been scoring enough goals, certainly I can only speak from December, but in a lot of occasions we have played well and created opportunities but when you don’t take them it makes it difficult, certainly the players knew the potential outcome of today, if we didn’t achieve three points and I stressed to them to show pride and they did that in abundance, I don’t think I could have got anymore out of them in effort levels and performance, because they played well in parts of the game, so nothing to be ashamed of from their point of view, certainly now their pride is hurt, frustrated all these things but certainly not embarrassed.

We were conscious that this day could come with the way results have been in the last few weeks it meant it was probably inevitable, I certainly do not think that is reflected in their play or performances, I certainly feel for them more than anything else, my job is to try and get the best from them and hope the players get the rewards for that, I don’t suppose it really sinks in properly until you come away from it because you are still thinking of the game that has just went, of course we are hugely disappointed, it’s the first time I have experienced this in my playing or coaching career, and my message is this “Remember the feeling and you don’t want to experience it again” and hopefully if I’m part of things here, that we are chasing a title next season. This is the crappy side of the game but sometimes you have to experience to enjoy the good times even more when hopefully we are given that chance.

We still have really good games coming up, Hibernian next week, we still have to go to Ibrox these are great game to be involved in and it means the players will not relax and still play with the same intensity and pride and want to finish the season on a high and get rewards for what they could have had already. The first home win was one of the first things I said to the players when I came here that must be our objective, we were unfortunate when the game was abandoned due to the snow and we have had injury time goals which have denied us that but we still have three opportunities to put that right, we will take one, trust me.
0 - 0
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Alloa Athletic v St Mirren

Once again on Saturday, “The Wasps” were left wondering why, after a late St.Mirren goal against the run of play, denied them to take anything from a game they, especially in the second half played very well, created good chances but could not get the ball past the experienced Jamie Langfield in the St. Mirren goal, who broke the Alloa players hearts with a wonderful one handed save to deny Michael Duffy and a certain Alloa goal. The players didn’t get any breaks on the day and the late goal was a cruel blow.

 

jack ross after defeat to st mirren

It was another tough defeat to take, especially for the players, I’m not gutted for myself but it is for them, the players, I’ve just left a very quiet dressing room. I thought the players were terrific, in the first half we competed well, there wasn’t a lot in the game but in the second half they were very, very good, I would defy anybody to say otherwise, we were the better team by a stretch, played really well, created good opportunities, I don’t think it was bad finishing, just we needed a wee bit fortune at times, so it was cruel. I have said for a while now, the position we have found ourselves in, if we were going to get out of that position- we will need to be dragged out of the league, we will certainly not go out with just a wee pat on the head. The players have done that in the main since I have come to the club, pride was the thing I asked the players to show today and they showed that in abundance, so I have not one bit of complaint about the performance, the players didn’t deserve that result – but it’s a results business. Nothing I can say will change that, the only thing if they are looking to learn something from today is remember how they feel, try and use that as motivation so they don’t want to feel that pain again.

Michael Duffy was outstanding, he has been a great success for us, it will be beneficial for him over his career, he is a lovely boy with a terrific attitude, I think for the last couple weeks he has not been at his best, his work rate could not be questioned but he didn’t look just as sharp, even in the first half today but in the second half today we asked him to do a couple of different things at half-time and in the second half he was terrific and showed what he has in his locker, he has attributes which make him a threat to defenders, a times it is just getting him to believe in himself enough, believe it or not players are not always arrogant and full of themselves, a lot of them doubt themselves in a lot of ways and you have to make them believe in themselves and was shown in the second half when he was terrific, I couldn’t ask any more from him.

We have known the position we are in for a while now, so we knew we had to win games, today we played very well, especially in the second half but to be fair lady luck has not been kind to us, at times things just wouldn’t fall our way at the right time, maybe it’s just not meant to be, but the spirit the players have shown has been terrific, and I heard supporters going away from today’s game hugely frustrated but proud of the performance of the team. There were a few key moments in the game, not least some of the saves Jamie Langfield produced but he is a very good goalkeeper who played a long time in the Premier League, they had a number of players in their team today who played in the Premier League last season and we were better than them, but his save was a fantastic save, he was not only going the wrong way but the shot is hit with terrific power.
0 - 1
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Greenock Morton v Alloa Athletic

 

jack ross after defeat at cappielow

The first half I wasn’t happy, I think I have been quiet fulsome in my praise in terms of how the players have performed in the past, but in the first half I think we dipped well below that, they knew that themselves, but strangely enough I thought in the second half we were a lot better, a lot more like themselves. However there are fine margins and although we had opportunities it looked like it was us who were more likely to grab an equaliser than we were to concede at the other end, I wasn’t happy with the decision in the part which leads to the third goal, thereafter I thought the only thing we can learn from it was that we were a little bit ragged towards the end of the game and we could have conceded more which would have put a harsh reflection on the score line – so first half disappointed, second half pleased with their reaction, with the fine margin in our favour we could have easily got ourselves in a position to get something from the game but then end up with nothing, which at times you just have to accept.

The save from Mitch Megginson at 2-1 was a crucial part of the game, it was a really good save, because I was right in line with it and Michael Duffy tried to put in the rebound, it was a terrific block from one of their centre half’s. On reflection it was an important part in the game, who knows what have happened if that had went in, but in a game in which Morton score four goals they usually deserve to win the football match, it was round an important part in the game, we were having a good spell and looking the most likely team at that period to score, but we didn’t, when you don’t it means that the next goal can kill you off.

Nothing today has changed what I have said to the players – It is very easy to play football when things are going well for you but it is much more of a test of character and hopefully our players will have stages in their careers when things are going better for them, it is easy to buckle or say it is to hard or just give in, but I don’t think the players are doing that and what we must do is approach every game positively and try and win it, regardless of what the outcome of that is, so I try and prepare them as best as I can before each game and it is a good test of character for them because the easiest thing human nature dictates is to say this is too difficult but they have not done that and I don’t believe they will.
4 - 1
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Alloa Athletic v Raith Rovers

The players were totally dejected on Saturday after suffering an late injury time goal to deny them their second victory of the season over Raith Rovers and more importantly “That first home win of the season”. At no time in the game on Saturday did the team look as if their campaign was over, the players realise it will be difficult to close the ten point gap with only seven games left, but they will make sure the campaign does not peter out, we still have four more home games to end our barren home season. Saturday’s disappointment has made the players even more determined to give the fans something in return for their loyal support over the season.

 

jack ross after late goal

There is nothing I could say to the players after the game that can make it hurt any less. When you concede a goal in injury time there’s no magic words you can find to take that feeling away.

I don’t think we deserved that, but it’s maybe just indicative of how the season has panned out for us. You could probably pick the bones out of every goal you concede, but sometimes things just drop in areas and that is what happened. Sometimes you have to take a step back from the disappointment and say we were up against a team who are fourth in the league and on a really good run prior to coming here.

They’ve been winning a lot of games and are in poll position for a playoff spot, yet we have come within 60 seconds of beating them for the second time this season. I think we deserved to win the game and for a team who have been written off by so many it would be so easy for them just to roll over, but they certainly haven’t done that. While it is still possible then we will always retain the belief. We can’t affect what has gone before this season, so all we can do is treat each game as the most important game of the season and try to win it.

I think these players deserve to win games, but it is out of our hands now because we would need things to go our way elsewhere. Of course, if we were to go and win six of them to take us to safety, it would be something spectacular. But if we win can four of them and things don’t go our way then at least we can say that we finished the season with pride.

The belief is still there, but we know it is an uphill task now that is out with our control. I really feel for the players in terms of the home record. I couldn’t care less about me because they’re the ones who have to go out there and do it on the park. They put a huge amount of effort into that last game and played some nice football to create some good opportunities, but we still have a few chances to put it right before the end of the season and so that is what we will look to do. If we keep up the performance levels of the Raith game then I am sure we will get a break.
1 - 1
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Dumbarton v Alloa Athletic

 

jack ross after dumbarton game

I think I am always honest in my assessments of games and I thought we were the better team against Dumbarton. We played very well in the first half, but the goals we concede we have gifted them. We have been guilty of that all season and teams don’t seem to have to work very hard to score against us. The first one is a poor mistake and then the second goal is well taken by the powerful Nade, but I still felt we were the better team. They started the second half well and score a tremendous goal straight away that had us up against, but to be fair to the boys they rallied well and did not throw in the towel. We dominated possession for the rest of the game. Obviously, the sending off gives us impetus, but I though we did well against the ten men without really creating that clear cut chance that we needed. It has been a problem for us all season and we just don’t have seem to have that cutting edge. We have a number of very good footballers, who give their all and create some good opportunities, but we simply lack a Christian Nade type who can finish them and it is as simple as that.

We know where we are as a group and we know what the Dumbarton result means for us. We can’t get away from the fact that things look very bleak for us now. But it is a test of the individual characters of my players now. In this situation you have two options. You can buckle and let the season peter out or you can rally and have enough pride in what you do to battle until the end. For the majority of my tenure here we have done a lot of good things, but we have fallen short results-wise. At the end of the day, league tables don’t lie. It is human nature that the players are all devastated after this result. It has been tough for them recently when they have in the main performed quite well, but ended up getting nothing from all of these games. But I have told them that they have to have a goal or motivation individually now until the end of the season.

As a team now our focus must be to put this home record right. That has got to be the aim now because anything outwith that at the moment is now very difficult for us. So we will look to go and put that right first and foremost on Saturday. That would at least put one thing right for the season and so that is what I have asked them to go and do. It is too early for us to say we’re simply going to look towards next season and rebuilding. There will likely come a time for that, but I think until it is mathematically impossible to stay in the league then it would be foolish of us just to dismiss it. It is obviously very difficult, but while it is not impossible we will always give our all and see where it takes us.
3 - 1
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Falkirk v Alloa Athletic

With only nine league matches remaining “The Wasps” slipped deeper into the relegation position, now eleven points adrift at the bottom of the league table. Although, Jack Ross, has installed the team to play more open football, knocking the ball confidently around the pitch, once again they appeared to lack a cutting edge in front of goal. The team created some good chances against a strong Falkirk side who now sit in second place in the league table, however when the opportunity fell for Alloa they still could not get the goals they need to win matches. We now go to Dumbarton on Tuesday for the rearranged fixture after cancellatuion last week knowing only a victory will be good enough.

 

jack ross after derby defeat

With the difference at the bottom of the league increasing to eleven points, I believe it is now difficult but not beyond the players, I said prior to the game after losing last Saturday to Livingston I had hoped to have played on Tuesday and today and potentially the points could have gone our way and the difference was as little as four again, but its went the flipside of that and the challenge is now huge but still not impossible, however we need to win matches – the outlook before and still is all about winning games which is not easy in this league, it is a tough league, you cannot highlight the fixture list and say where points will come, every match is difficult.

What I was pleased about today, was the reaction from last week and also in the second half today because we were coming here against a good side and could have folded in the second half, but they didn’t and remained as competitive as they could be. I said in the dressing room after the game we must have the ambition to win games between now and the end of the season and see where that takes us.

Scott Gallacher made some crucial saves in the match but I expect a goalkeeper playing against a team third in the league, now second, to make saves, he is a good goalkeeper, I have said that before, he is a keeper we are lucky to have at Alloa who I think would earn a team five, six or seven points over a season because he makes good saves at important times.

Ideally we would want to win every game from now to the end of the season, there is nothing wrong with setting that as your target because if you don’t it would be pointless us turning up, so we go again on Tuesday and look to try and win the game, the players by in large in the time I’ve been here have been great in terms of their attitude and commitment, they just lack a bit of belief especially in the final third of the park and that is indicative of how or season has went for us, thinking there is a hope we will score rather than an expectancy to do so, we keep trying to work on that and if we pick up some positive results, at least then we will have had some reward for those efforts.

We need to win matches, we haven’t won enough of them to date, although we are more competitive we still haven’t won enough games, so our target now is just to go and win matches, regardless of other teams we need to win matches.
2 - 0
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Alloa Athletic v Livingston

Yesterdays result and display against Livingston was a huge disappointment, the team are now seven points from safety at the bottom of the league and have certainly now made it even more difficult for the team to retain their Championship status, on the day the team under performed and paid dearly for individual mistakes, we are a far better team than yesterdays performance and it was an uncharacteristic performance to what the team have shown in recent weeks. We still have ten league matches left, with a another big game on Tuesday evening against a Dumbarton side, who have just defeated Hibernian 3-2, we now need to pick up points, the players and fans will be hurting so Tuesday nights game if we can win can readdress this very quickly.

 

jack ross after defeat to livingston

Losing two goals so early in the match didn’t help, but it was more down to the fact we didn’t play well today, if you don’t play well it is always difficult to get something from a game, it’s not to detract from the fact Livingston played well but you only really look at your own side and definitely after the kind of performances we have been producing over the past few months we were well below that today, it was more than losing the two early goals it was just the overall performance, if you have as many players, as we had today that didn’t play to their capabilities then it is going to be difficult to take anything from the match.

I now have to look the lift the players before Tuesday’s night’s game against Dumbarton, I have just finished speaking to the players in the dressing room after the match, it is my responsibility to lift them, as it would be for any manager, if we had won today it would not have defined our season where we would finish, but losing the game makes it more difficult, however if we go and win on Tuesday and other results go your way we will be back to where we started before today’s game, so that’s something we have to look at, it’s an incentive for us, all we can control is our own results and our focus always has been in trying to win games and see where that took us. Today is a disappointment, it is a huge disappointment but we are fortune we have a game on Tuesday, a game which we will need to try and win.

The goal just before half-time was a real disappointment, because I think at that time we were probably enjoying as good a spell we had in the game without still playing particularly well, we looked more likely to nick an equaliser than conceding another and that makes the second half difficult, we huffed and puffed in the second half but never really created very much and as the game goes on you become a bit stretched and the team who are winning create things on the break and that happened. We have defended well over the last couple of months but today individual mistakes cost us, which happens in football, but it was more than the mistakes but how you react to it within the ninety minutes and then in games beyond that.

We made mistakes at crucial times, the players know that and it cost us today. Michael Duffy has played better for us in games this season but it was good for him to get his goal, that is a plus for him, so we dust ourselves down and will go again on Tuesday.
1 - 3
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Hibernian v Alloa Athletic

 

jack ross at easter road

I don’t have any qualms over the result, I thought our players gave a good account of themselves individually and as a team. If we’d taken one of our opportunities early in the second half, it would have gotten us back to within a goal and the game could have been different, but there is a lot to be pleased about.

I was pleased that the team kept the task in hand, coming here prior to the game we knew how difficult it would be, I think despite the fact Hibernian made a number of changes, they have a really strong squad with players desperately trying to impress and play themselves into a cup final place, so I was delighted with the approach of my players and the way they kept going and created decent opportunities at times, that they maybe have not done here on previous visits when they didn’t create any chances at all, so there was a lot of positives for us to take going into some really big games for the club on the horizon against teams which are nearest us in the league table.

The two chances early in the second half could have changed the complexion of the game, at half-time I told my players to go out and try to win the second half, if you do that you give yourself the chance of taking something from the game, at that time early in the second half had we scored then it would have gave them a test, regarding the rest of the game, but we didn’t take these opportunities and after that it was about making sure we kept a decent reflection on the scoreline, I think three nil was slightly harsh on us but the players were determined not to lose any more goals, but overall again a lot to be pleased with as I have said in the past six or seven week the application and work rate could not be faulted.

Goals have been difficult to come by and like another few clubs in the Championship we have been looking for that goalscorer to bring in but as we are part-time it is difficult to compete against full-time clubs, being part-time means attracting players is more difficult. We have some really talented players in our forward areas, none of them perhaps out and out goal scorers, we certainly have players capable of creating opportunities, Michael Duffy has been outstanding and if he continues in that form, I am confident he will get the goals his play merits.
3 - 0
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Alloa Athletic v Rangers

The Wasps showed great concentration, defended superbly and stuck to their task and belief they could get a result against league leaders Rangers again on Saturday, this is the third time in the past two seasons that Rangers have failed to win at the Indodrill Stadium. Rangers certainly had their chances but the longer the game went on there was always going to be an opportunity and after Wes Foderingham had denied Dougie Hill, by tipping his header over the bar, Jason Marr headed home from Mitch Megginson’s inch perfect corner to put the home side ahead. Rangers were stunned into action and new signing Michael O’Halloran scored eight minutes from the end to rescue a point and deny Alloa their first home victory of the season. Even after this Rangers defender Danny Wilson had to react quickest to clear another dangerous ball into the Rangers box with Alloa captain Dougie Hill lurking behind him.

 

jack ross after draw against rangers

It’s for other people to judge if the narrowing of the pitch had any effect on today’s result, it’s obviously a factor in the way the game pans out of course it is but I must stress this was done a few weeks ago not just prior to the Rangers game, it is something we thought could help us throughout the course of the rest of the season and I think it has done, but we are still waiting for that elusive home win this season which still escapes us but we have to be delighted with the point against the team which is top of the league for a good reason that they are a really good side, so I would much prefer to talk up what my players achieved today than anything else.

I think there is a huge number of things which pleased me in the performance, you could point to individual performances like the goalkeepers, you obviously need him to go and have a big game against a team like Rangers, I think the teams organisation, their understanding of what we are trying to do and we didn’t set out to give up so much territory as was happening at times, believe me that was not our idea but it’s forced upon you at times because we were facing a good side with good players, who understand their system and do it very well, it was their discipline in that respect to continue to do the hard work was the most pleasing thing.

The spirit which the players have shown over the past six weeks has been terrific and it’s nice to see they are now starting to get some tangible reward for that in gaining another point. I have never sensed, nothing other than the belief that we can stay up, it’s something I’ve tried to install since day one, we need to stay positive, we have picked up some disappointing results even when we were playing well, that will not change and had we ended up losing today it would still have change, cause we could have, let’s be honest, I’m not going to stand here and say that we didn’t carry a bit of good fortune.

At times our goalkeeper made good saves but there was opportunities Rangers will feel they could have scored especially in the early part of the game which sometimes people forget about so we needed that today, the effort levels from my players remembering they had played on Tuesday night, they earned that bit of good fortune. Jason’s goal is something we have worked reasonably hard on with the time restraints of our training in terms of set pieces, we know now with the dimensions of the pitch that is one thing you can utilise more because the players can deliver the ball into better areas more easily because of the narrowness of the pitch it’s something we have worked on, we have good delivery in that respect and two centre half’s in particular who will get on the end of these balls very well, it was a fantastic header, I knew if we got these opportunities there was a chance, but it was just getting enough of them in these areas which was the problem.

Our next game against Hibernian is another difficult game, when we looked at the fixtures and we knew that we had Rangers & Hibernian back to back we knew it would be difficult because these two teams are at the top of the league for a good reason, and they are huge club’s as well so it’s different, we will go to a pitch which is wider, and we will come up against a different system but we will do as much preparation as we can within our time with the players, but also trying to do the things we do, in training two nights a week, there is a real balance between little bits that help you and equally trying to get other players in to help us win games as well.
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