Competition: Championship

Dumbarton v Alloa Athletic

“The Wasps” will look back on this game knowing that they had a great opportunity to end their poor record against Dumbarton which now goes back to 13 games without victory. Alloa started the brightly at the Bet Butler Stadium and were the better team before a defensive mistake after 39 minutes gave Dumbarton the opening goal against the run of play. The Wasps had been creating chances, Greig Spence did have the ball in the net but the ball had gone out of play before being headed home, Liam Buchanan nearly scoring with his first touch of the ball after replacing Greig Spence, who had to be replaced after only 17 minutes after tightening of his hamstring. The second goal after 55 minutes came from a corner from ex Wasp Scott Agnew whose cross was headed home by Jordan Kirkpatrick who was not picked up. The Wasps were still in the game but could not convert their chances – Liam Buchanan, Eddie Ferns & Mark Docherty all having opportunities to get on the scoresheet, Mark Docherty then had an effort which came back off the post with the keeper beaten. Twelve minutes from the end Jordan Kirkpatrick went on a sol run, John Gibson saving his chip shot but the ball broke to another ex Wasp, Colin Nish who had only been on the pitch for five minutes to knock the ball into an empty net. The Alloa players never gave up and Stephen Simmons scored an acrobatic volley in the final minute to score a consolation goal.

barry smith at dumbarton

There was nothing in the game in the first half, until we gave them a goal, and that changes the way the game was played, we have created chances in the first and second half but if you don’t take them at one end and make mistakes at the other end, it becomes very difficult to win games.  We have gifted them goals today, the first one was a mistake, the second one at a set piece where the player was not picked up from, and the third goal we were pushing trying to get back into the game – but we must take our chances and learn the defend properly. Although Greig Spence had to come off after only 17 minutes, Liam Buchanan has come on and did well, obviously Greig has been playing extremely well and we can’t afford to lose your players who are playing well but we just have to get on with it. He felt a tightening of his hamstring and he asked to come off right away. Even after that we created chances throughout the game but we never took them and didn’t defend good enough to make sure we didn’t concede after doing so well in defending against Rangers last week. We now must look to get ready for another tough match next Saturday against Falkirk and we will look at it positively and go and make sure we do the right things.
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Alloa Athletic v Rangers

Alloa Athletic FC produced one of their best ever results against Rangers in a game that marked the official opening of the Indodrill Stadium. This was the tenth time the clubs had met but this will be looked back on a game in which it was Rangers that snatched a draw. The Alloa players worked hard against their full time rivals and created the best chances in the first half and were rewarded when Jonathan Tiffoney headed home Mark Docherty’s cross on 35 minutes.

The Alloa players were tremendous and had chances to kill the game, Stephen Simmons headed just over the bar and then a Jonathan Tiffoney great through ball gave Greig Spence a great chance to put “The Wasps” two goals ahead, but his shot was saved by Steve Simonsen in the Rangers goal. In the final twenty minutes Rangers managed to push the Alloa defence deeper and their physical presence finally forced an equaliser five minutes from the end, David Templeton knocking home after Lee McCulloch’s shot had been saved.

At the end of the day it was the Rangers players who celebrated snatching a draw and the Alloa Athletic players who were disappointed to lose such a late goal and deny them their first ever competitive victory over the Glasgow side.

 

barry smith after rangers game

I was delighted with the performance of the boys, we worked ever so hard, we were obviously disappointed at losing a goal so late on and the boys are disappointed in the dressing room, but I have told them they can take a lot of belief and confidence from their performance, especially in the first half where they have created chances and kept the ball for good spells of the game, so it is good for me the boys are disappointed but we have a lot to build on. We always knew this league would be competitive, we think we have a good squad here that will make sure we are competitive. We changed the team slightly from last week and it worked, sometimes you make changes for the benefit of the team – Liam Buchanan who has been terrific this season was left out so we could protect the wider areas a bit, for ourselves a wee bit more because of the players that Rangers have and Jonathan Tiffoney came in and scored our goal. We have been speaking to our wider playing players to make sure they got the ball into the box and that happened today. Greig Spence had a chance to make it 2-0 late in the game, but he has been terrific for us up to this point in the season and he did great playing up front himself today and on another day it might have found the bottom corner of the net, but that is just one of these things and we are not going to criticise him for hitting the target. Most teams will come here and think the surface is horrible but that is because a lot of teams don’t like playing on it but I don’t think that was a factor in the result today, we defended so well and also created chances. We want to make this a difficult place for opposing teams to  come to, for all teams not just against Hearts, Hibs and Rangers.
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Livingston v Alloa Athletic

A Jordan White hat-trick, a player “The Wasps” had tried to sign in the close season from neighbours Stirling Albion, saw Livingston defeat Alloa Athletic 4-0 as “The Wasps” still look for their first victory over Livingston in the League at Almondvale’s newly titled The Energy Assets Arena.

There had not been a lot between the teams before the opening goal, Alloa had good spells of possession but lacked any penetration around the Livingston box. Callum Fordyce’s header broke the deadlock and he then set up the second before half-time when his through ball was headed in by Jordan White as he won the aerial battle with Craig McDowall. Ryan McCord’s goal bound shot early in the second half was touched over by keeper Darren Jamieson but on the hour mark he was replaced by Eddie Ferns after Ryan had picked up an unnecessary booking after a late lunge. Jordan White thwarted any flickering hopes of a comeback when he scored his second goal after Gary Glen’s shot was beaten out by keeper Craig McDowall, he completed his hat-trick by bagging the fourth after 77 minutes while Myles Hippolyte had went down in the box, White fired home another goal to end the scoring at 4-0, a disappointing day for “The Wasps”.

 

barry smith at livingston

The better team won today, simple as that Livingston were better than us on the day. Next week’s game will look after itself, the Rangers, Hibs and Hearts games all do – but it is games like today we have to be up for from the first minute and today we weren’t and the better team won. These boys get a lot of credit because all this season they have done extremely well but today was an off day, but I can’t take away from the way Livingston played, they were the better team. The goals we lost from our point of view today were very disappointing.
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Alloa Athletic v Hibernian

Alloa Athletic achieved one of their best victories yesterday in defeating Hibernian, it was a great performance by “The Wasps” especially coming back from going behind after only fifteen minutes. Barry Smith’s team did well in the first half without any reward, they had showed great confidence and belief and had chances to equalise. However in the second half “The Wasps” always looked the much livelier side and playing at such a tempo they always looked dangerous. Ten minutes into the 2nd half the impressive, Liam Buchanan fired “The Wasps” level after visiting keeper Mark Oxley had parried Daryll Meggatt’s goal bound header. The home side’s attitude, work rate and fitness helped outplay and outfight the Easter Road side. The winning goal five minutes from the end was no more than the team deserved, after “Man of the Match” Kevin Cawley had been fouled on the edge of the area, substitute Iain Flannigan, who had only just came on the pitch fired an unstoppable free kick high into the corner of the net, a goal worthy of winning any game.

 

barry smith after win over hibs

A great result and performance, to come back from being one nil down against Hibernian, one of the teams which have just come down from the Premier Division shows a lot of character in our squad, in how hard they worked to get themselves back in the game, that’s the pleasing thing, it is great winning the game but it was the manner in which they won, the players fitness levels again were first class, I thought in the second half we created many chances. I know what I get from theses lads we have been creating chances since the start of the season and maybe not getting the rub of the green, however today we deserved everything we got. We said to the players at half time to take great confidence from their first half display, even although we went in 1- 0 down we still had created chances and I think in the 2nd half they showed defensively we are sound, that teams can see we are a good passing team and go and play and I think that was shown today. Iain Flannigan appeared just at the right time but you have to say “That is what he was on for” it was a great free kick, we know he is capable of producing that but we do not want to get carried away with the one result, we have done extremely well but we have lost games when it might have been different, but the players will take a massive confidence boost from this result beating Hibernian – that’s the one aspect we will not get carried away be take a great confidence boost from the result. John Gibson had a thigh strain prior to the match and that gave Craig McDowall his chance, he has come in and done everything that was asked, I don’t think I could fault him for the goal we lost, he couldn’t have done much about but everything else he has done as he was asked. Our next big game now is next Saturday against Greenock Morton, every game this season is big for us,and we want to be winning every game  Hibs, Hearts and Rangers will come but it is still eleven v. eleven on that park and I think today our eleven done extremely well and got their result.
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Cowdenbeath v Alloa Athletic

The Wasps recorded their first victory in the SPFL Championship this season at Central Park today, defeating Cowdenbeath 3-0, their first defeat in the league at home, since losing to Dumbarton on 11th January, 2014. Barry Smith’s men were positive from the start, taking the game to Cowdenbeath and determined to gain their first points in the Championship. The opening goal came after 37 minutes when Kevin Cawley unleashed a shot which took a slight deflection of Darren Brownlie and flew past the stranded Thomas Flynn. The Wasps increased their lead, three minutes into the second half when Greig Spence scored his seventh goal of the season, his first in the league this season. Liam Buchanan who has been outstanding in creating chances this season was rewarded when Mark Docherty’s cross to the back post was met by Greig Spence, although his shot was saved by Thomas Flynn, the alert Liam Buchanan was on hand to knock the rebound into the net for a comfortable 3-0 victory.

 

barry smith at central park

I am happy with the performance and the result, Cowdenbeath is not an easy place to come, but everything about today’s game was positive for us, the work rate, some of the football we played and the goals we scored, so it was a pleasing afternoon, but it’s about continuing all aspects of the victory, working hard, which the players always give me, but putting the chances away when they come along. When you go down teams open up a wee bit, we scored three goals and created more chances but I’m not going to complain when we win and score three goals at a place like Cowdenbeath. We will now concentrate on our game on Tuesday night against Hamilton Accies in the League Cup, we don’t look to far ahead, we look forward to it and go in on the back of two victories which is good for the confidence of the lads. Greig Spence has been scoring the goals but Liam Buchanan has been working so hard creating the chances, I think three or four of Spency’s goals have been created by Liam, so delighted for him to get off the mark today. We were positive from the start and looked to take the game to Cowdenbeath. I don’t like singling out players but Mark Docherty did well today, Sparky had to sit out for a couple of weeks and came back in against Stirling Albion in midweek and did very well. We knew where we could hurt Cowdenbeath, and knew the way we were going to play against them and it worked today.

 
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Alloa Athletic v Raith Rovers

“The Wasps” lost out to an early goal against Raith Rovers at Recreation Park on Saturday, once again a mistake in defence was to be costly, hesitation in defending in a game which like all we will face this season required full concentration. Once again in the first half, we created good chances but know we need to start converting some of these openings if we are to turn games into victories.

It was small consolation that “The Wasps” moved off the bottom of the league on goal difference, however the players have an excellent chance to get back into winning ways on Tuesday night when they face local rivals Stirling Albion at Forthbank in the 2nd Round of this season’s Petrofac Training Cup.

 

barry reflects on home defeat

It was another very frustrating afternoon, one mistake has cost us today, we had two mistakes in the first half, one Ben Gordon has done exceptionally well to get back in and the other mistake was a goal. Other than that in the first half I thought we played extremely well, we should have scored as we had clear cut chances this week, certainly more clear cut than last week, and I would say we dominated the game in the first half. It was another mistake which meant we went in at half time one goal behind, that is the fine line in this division, we were punished for the one mistake, we have to work hard for any chances we create and credit to the boys we have been doing exactly that but we need to start taking them as well, we can look at the chances we have made but we need to start taking them….and I’m sure we will. Disappointed with the second half performance because we know how well we had played in the first half but when it comes down to it and we played that badly in the second half, one goal and we would have came off the park gaining a draw. It’s not about performances, it’s about winning games, and everybody wants to play well to win, but sometimes that’s not what it’s about, you need to grind out a result, the less mistakes you make the better.

I will be great for the boys to get back in to action against Stirling Albion on Tuesday night in the Petrofac Cup Tie and we will look for a victory, we will look to go and win the game and get back in winning ways. The mistake for the goal was down to the fact the keeper shouted for the ball, but as a defender you never turn your back on the ball, so it works both ways – but it was a mistake, it doesn’t matter by who and we paid dearly for it again today.
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Queen of the South v Alloa Athletic

The Wasps headed to Palmerston Park in confident mood after two back to back wins in cup competitions but in the end had to return empty handed having played very well in the first half especially, but failing to score the vital opening goal when on top. On the day it went down to costly errors in defence, the first goal a basic defending error and the second, being caught, against the run of play, when pressing for an equalising goal. Credit to the players who never gave in and even in the final minute Greig Spence’s header came back off the post but the rebound was hit high over the bar by Graeme Holmes when on another day it would have been a certain goal.

 

barry smith at palmerston

It was definitely a frustrating afternoon, in the first half we had control of large spells of the game, I thought we did really well and mistakes from us have cost us at the end, the second half the game just petered out, there wasn’t much in the second half. Overall we need to cut out the basic errors, which cost us today, especially in the first half we created and played some good stuff.

The players never gave in and played right until the end, even in the final minutes we had a chance, when Greig Spence’s header came back off the post, but we must keep trying right to the last minute but it just didn’t fall our way today.If we cut out the basic errors, as I say I thought overall the performance was good, we created chances in the first half, the second half the game did peter out but overall with our first half performance if we can continue that and cut out the basic errors we will do alright this season.

Look at the amount of chances we created in the first half, five or six good chances, but it is about taking these chances when they come along – McCord, Buchanan and Spence all had good chances and that then takes pressure off the back four. When we make mistakes we tend to get punished.
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Falkirk v Alloa Athletic

Alloa Athletic secured their place in the SPFL Championship next season despite losing 3-1 to local rivals Falkirk on a dramatic final day of the season. It was a terrific atmosphere inside the Falkirk stadium as the hosts were in the title hunt while the Wasps were trying desperately to avoid the relegation playoff place at the foot of the table. The Bairns started the better and Scott Bain had to be at his best to pull out a terrific save to deny Beck’s bullet header from an early corner.

The home side’s early pressure paid off on 23 minutes when Mark Millar found Beck free at the front post who bulleted his side in front with the header. The Wasps weren’t down for long though as they caught their rivals cold on the break as they pushed for a second.

A brilliant solo run from Ryan McCord saw him glide past four defenders before cutting the ball back to Kevin Cawley who poked the ball home to bring his side level. Some heroic defending from Barry Smith’s men ensured that they went in level at the interval when Ben Gordon got the ball off the line as Blair Alston poked the ball beyond Bain towards goal.

Alloa passed up an unbelievable chance to take the lead on 51 minutes when Liam Caddis did brilliantly to get beyond two defenders and round the advancing Bairns keeper Michael McGovern but the on-loan St Johnstone midfielder could only put the shot into the side netting.

The Wasps paid the price for not taking their chances as Gary Holt’s men hit them on the break to take the lead. Bairns substitute Sheppard did well to get to the byline and squared to find the onrushing Sibbald who forced the ball home from six yards. Alloa could have levelled when Graeme Holmes chipped pass was headed back by Ross Caldwell into the path of substitute Andy Kirk but the striker’s goal-bound volley was tipped over by McGovern.

Falkirk clinched all three points on 90 minutes when Beck nodded home from close range to make it 3-1 at full time after great work from Alston to set up the chance.

Despair soon turned to joy for the travelling support though as word came through that Queen of the South had scored a late leveller at Cowdenbeath meaning Alloa had survived the playoffs at the last moment to clinch their place in the Championship for another season. Jubilant scenes ensued as the players re-emerged from the dressing room to celebrate with the Wasps’ faithful.

Graeme Lafferty, Alloa Advertiser

 

barry smith at falkirk

First of all I cannot thank the boys enough, I thought today they were excellent, they have been for weeks – maybe not been getting the results but I thought they played excellent today, they passed the ball against a good passing team in Falkirk but we certainly passed the ball as well as we have been doing in recent weeks, we had opportunities. In terms of achievements that’s up there, it’s a great achievement for Alloa Athletic Football Club to stay in this division, you do not know what this will mean to the people of Alloa, they might not be the biggest support in the world but it means just as much to them as to anyone else and I am delighted for them because them and the players because they are the boys who have worked their socks off, week in, week out and we have not had that rub of the green and today we got the rub of the green from somewhere else, but because of our hard work I believe that if you work hard, you will get that rub of the green and today we deserved it.

I said to the players after the game if we are in the Play Offs, if we play like we did today we would stay up, I had belief in them, because I thought they were excellent today, we maybe never converted a couple of great chances but that has been the same in previous weeks and I said to the players if we play like that we will stay up because I thought we did extremely well today. We were in the changing rooms and I was already thinking about the Play offs when someone came in and said it was now 1-1 at Central Park, but we have seen some teams celebrate before when they get similar news but then it ends up it is not true, so we were doing our best to make sure that was correct information and that the game had indeed ended 1-1 – somebody had a Sky thing but it wasn’t showing the game was finished – it was a roller coaster emotion because I was already thinking about Wednesdays game, straight after the game I was thinking about our next game which would have been on Wednesday – but I did think that if we had went into the play offs, I know we have enough quality in that team that would have seen us stay up.

We had our chances, when Liam Caddis did wonderful to create the chance and then round their keeper but he just needed that goal but hit the side netting, Ross Caldwell, that’s the Ross Caldwell we know, he was excellent today and hopefully he goes back to Hibernian and becomes a first team player there and Liam returns to St. Johnstone, knowing and having the knowledge they have done a job for us.

I now gives us a chance to look right over the squad and see where we are going with it, that’s the nature of football and there are though decisions to be made cause they are a great group of boys and none of the decisions will be taken lightly but that is the nature of football but I don’t want to speak about that just now rather speak about how great an achievement it is for Alloa Athletic Football Club to stay in this division, for myself it is an incredible achievement to be involved in and I have been involved in some great achievement in my spell as a football manager, but that is up there because keeping a part time club in a division, full of full time clubs is very difficult and it will be a great challenge next season but we look forward to head on and look forward to another new challenge, where everyone can play their part, the Alloa support again today was fantastic.
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Alloa Athletic v Dundee

After losing to Paul Hartley’s promotion seeking Dundee yesterday, “The Wasps” will need to go to the final game of the season to try and secure their SPFL Championship position for next season in a game against Falkirk, who themselves still have an outside chance of clinching the Championship depending on other results. Alloa were the better side early on against Dundee but could not get that vital opening goal, before Christian Nade opened the scoring for the visitors three minutes before half-time. Again, Alloa opened the second half brightly but the penalty on 71 minutes, when Daryll Meggatt was harshly adjudged for deliberate handball and in a double blow, was then red carded for his second booking of the game. “The Wasps” will now face Falkirk at the New Falkirk Stadium next Saturday, while Cowdenbeath will face Queen of the South at Central Park with “The Wasps” one point ahead and better goal difference of seven goal, Alloa are – 15 and Cowdenbeath – 22.

 

barry smith after dundee defeat

The boys started positively, we had chances in the game, and if we don’t take the chance earlier on and again not marking at set pieces, and the mistake at the second goal which cost us dearly.  We can go over mistakes it is about how we respond next week  – there is no getting away from  next week now it is an important game for the players and that will tell me how much belief they have got in themselves – I have tremendous belief in them and I tell them that all the time how with the ability they have got they should be able to see out games and do better in games but next week will tell.  The referee gave the penalty but I didn’t think it was a booking – if he had to give a penalty fine but I don’t think it was a booking  because he did very little to re-act the ball hit him – so you get a double whammy the penalty was enough rather than have somebody else getting sent off.  We didn’t want it to come to the last game of the season, but I know the players will give everything they have got next week to make sure we stay in this division.
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Hamilton Academical v Alloa Athletic

In a nervy game at New Douglas Park, Hamilton on Saturday, the home side eventually won 2-1 to put them top of the table with just two games to go, there was not much between the teams and in a frantic last ten minutes “The Wasps” had looked the most likely to score, in the end Barry Smith’s side gave everything but could not pick up an equalising goal and now go into another difficult game against Paul Hartley’s promotion seeking Dundee team. No games are easy at this stage of the season but the return of ex manager Paul Hartley to Recreation Park will make the game all the more exciting – The Dundee fans section is all ticket, which can only be purchased from Dens Park, while the home side of the ground is cash at turnstile or by season ticket.

 

barry smith at hamilton

I don’t think there was much between the teams but we made a couple of mistakes for their goals. At the end we looked the more likely to score and credit to my players who put Hamilton Accies under a lot of pressure. I just think a couple of mistakes cost us today, I always ask them to pass the ball but we took a couples of chances which I would probably have asked them not to do, but we did extremely well to get back into the game. The players response after going behind was great, they are a great set of boys who worked very hard, as they do in every game and by the end of the game it was us we looked the more likely of the teams to score and credit to the players for that. It was a nervy finish you could feel it in the stadium and it was credit to the players for going and putting that pressure on Hamilton – as I said I thought the players worked extremely hard but it was the case of a couple of mistakes, and we are disappointed today but I cannot ask more it terms of work rate. We are in a good position in the fact we are four points above Cowdenbeath – but the boys know they will need to work hard to maintain that. Next week will just be another game for Alloa, albeit the return of Paul Hartley with his Dundee side, it is an important game for both sides but it will be treated just as any other game. Next week we need to cut out the errors which cost us today and with that effort and commitment, which the players have shown since I’ve come in will take us through.
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