Competition: Championship

Alloa Athletic v Greenock Morton

“The Wasps” took a huge step closer to consolidating their position in next season’s SPFL Championship after a fine 2 – 0 victory over Greenock Morton which sees Kenny Shiels side now relegated. The first goal, as in most games is so important and the home side looked hungry straight from the off, Kevin Cawley heading “The Wasps” in front from where in truth they never looked back. Ryan McCord scored the second goal in the second half with a header and the team had other chances to increase the scoreline, none better than Ryan McCord again, this time he blazed the ball high over the bar when it looked a certain goal.

 

barry smith after defeating morton

It’s a great result, I thought we thoroughly deserved it, we passed the ball , were disciplined and created opportunities so delighted with the result we have spoke about the need for a good start and getting that first goal and how important it is and we got that today and I don’t think we really looked back from then, Morton had a couple of half chances but nothing really like coming back after that. We are now in s great position in that sense it is a good result and it puts pressure on Cowdenbeath we now cannot afford to lose another game now. I said a couple of weeks ago that the players that can handle these situations will rise to the top and we didn’t have a bad performance out there from any of my players. I have always said I have full confidence in our pool of players here at the club I know if I have to ask any of the players to play in other positions they will do it to the best of their ability, so I am delighted for the players because I think they work so hard in games and maybe they have always had the wee breaks at times, its cost us but today we worked as hard as ever and we got there and got our breaks and that is the difference. We know we are nearly there but the massive thing is we are seven points clear and that puts all the pressure on Cowdenbeath, they now cannot lose any more games. You never like to see teams being relegated but at the start of each season it’s going to happen to someone but I’m sure Morton will bounce back, Kenny Shiels is a good man he has his own philosophy and I’m sure he will have them back ready for next season. The first goal today we are always asking our players to get in the box and we had two good balls into the box and I’ve said before “Kirky” is maybe not getting the goals just now but he is working hard for the team and that’s important that the players are working so hard for each other and although he has not been on the score sheet recently he has been doing his teamwork and that’s important at this stage in the season.
2 - 0
Full Time

Dumbarton v Alloa Athletic

Saturday’s defeat at the Bet Butler Stadium, Dumbarton was a poor result in a game when “The Wasps” started on the ascendancy and looked to take the game to the home side after they had lost 3-0 to Morton in midweek. The opening goal which is so important came about after referee Andrew Dallas had over ruled his assistant on the main stand side and gave a throw in to the home side, from this attack Mark Gilhaney swept a hopeful ball into the Alloa box which was missed by everyone and sneaked into the net at the back post after going in off the post. Alloa came back and Michael Doyle tried to open his account for the season but the best chance fell to Darren Young who at the back post knocked his effort off the legs of keeper Jamie Ewings. Worse was to follow two minutes into the second half when Garry Fleming scored the 2nd goal of the match with an effort very similar to the opening goal. Ross Caldwell presented Andy Kirk with a great cross, which he flicked past the home defence but Andy Kirk’s net bound header was again blocked by the home keeper. Ex Alloa player Scott Agnew made it three ten minutes from the end before Chris Kane increased the margin to 4-0. Alloa substitute Liam Caddis was then rewarded for shooting at goal when his effort was deflected past Jamie Ewings for a late consolation.

 

barry smith at dumbarton

The players all work hard and give their all for the club, they just need to have a stronger mentality at times when things aren’t going their way. It was a very disappointing afternoon for us and the boys all know that they can play a lot better. It was just a bad day at the office though, where we haven’t defended properly but that isn’t just down to the defenders. It was a whole team problem. In the first half, I thought we competed well and did the right things early on. There just seems to be that fear factor among the players when they concede a goal, we just seem to be very vulnerable and I can’t seem to get to the bottom of it. Every game from now until the end of the season is a big game for us now. We will look for a reaction from them against Morton but the players know themselves that the performance wasn’t good enough and they must improve if we are to take three points in that game.There is definitely enough quality in the team, that if we do go a goal down, we should be able to score. We just don’t seem to be taking our chances when they come along either. Some of the goals we lost in the match were really uncharacteristic from our point of view. We have got a good defensive record so it was unusual to concede four goals and in the manner that we lost them in. We can’t afford to concede a goal like that as early in the second half like we did because we didn’t get a chance to settle into the game in the second half. But then we need to react better to the situation.It is hard to slaughter them after a game like this where they have played well in stages and created chances but then we are conceding bad goals. I still have great confidence and belief in this team because I know they will do everything in their power to keep us in this division. I believe it, I just need the players to start believing in it.
4 - 1
Full Time

Alloa Athletic v Raith Rovers

 

barry smith after raith rovers win at recs

I think we deserved something from the game today, but it’s the same as Tuesday if you don’t take your chances when they come along then we make it more difficult. I can’t fault the boys for effort and work rate because they give you everything but the wee things that make the difference is the wee chances and the wee switch off for their goal, not at the free kick, but before it has cost us today. It was a great free kick but from our point of view we shouldn’t have let their player run as far before there was a free kick, the free kick could have been made earlier, if you’re going to made a free kick, make it earlier in move, unfortunately that is what has cost us today. The referee’s have a difficult enough job, but we believe it was a penalty, I believe that Andy Kirk is an honest guy and he wouldn’t have went down in the box if he had not been kicked. When we struck the crossbar these are the wee things that made the difference, if we had scored that, the penalty on Tuesday and I think we would have won these games, but if you miss these chances and the mistake leading up to the free kick today, and you end up losing these games. There are very small margins, we need to cut out the mistakes and finish teams off. Its typical, we have our left back suspended and young Jonathan Tiffoney that comes in goes off injured and we had to reshuffle again, Willie Robertson came on who is a natural midfielder but he did well at full back today.
0 - 1
Full Time

Livingston v Alloa Athletic

Tonight game against Livingston showed just how important it is to get the first goal in these important matches. The players started the game on top but were ultimately punished for not scoring when on top in the game. Again we had chances in the second half but on the evening it just wasn’t to be, every game from now till the end of the season will be equally difficult, we now look forward to facing Raith Rovers on Saturday at Recreation Park in another big game for the club.

 

barry smith after livingston game

I thought the boys started the game excellently, we started on top, and in this league if you score when you are on top, very rarely do you get beat and ultimately we paid the price for that tonight.

I can’t fault the players for effort because they gave me everything as they do in every game, but as I said before, when you are on top, in the first twenty minutes of tonight’s game we were well on top in the game, but we needed to score in that time.

We try and to be positive with every performance and we can see there is no doubt the performances have improved, but it’s about results now and we need to get results on board.

Every game will be big until the end of the season, we are not kidding on, they are all big games now and the players should enjoy playing in them, the bigger the game the better players rise above it, so we will have some good games to be involved in from now till the end of the season. We look forward to Saturday and know the game against Raith Rovers will be another tough game, which the players will be looking forward to.
2 - 0
Full Time

Alloa Athletic v Falkirk

This was a huge result for “The Wasps” and throughly deserved on the day, Alloa Athletic looked to be positive after feeling aggrieved at getting nothing from last week’s game against Queen of the South, in a game “The Wasps” deserved something from their display. The previous two local derbys this season against Falkirk had ended 0-0 and although there was no scoring in the first half on Saturday both teams had opportunities to score. As in most games in this division the first goal is all important and when it came – what a goal it was, already a contender for goal of the season, a brilliant individual goal by Eddie Ferns, the goal along with the fact, Falkirk had just had Phil Roberts sent off gave the home side a lift and a great belief the game was there for the taking. Kevin Cawley added the second goal bulleting home a header at the back post and Ryan McCord increased the margin of the victory by then heading home from a superb Liam Caddis cross, 3-0. The Wasps ended the game well on top and were unlucky not to make it four when another shot struck the crossbar. This was a huge three points for the club with only seven matches remaining this season, on Tuesday night “The Wasps” will travel to Livingston in another difficult game, but it is another chance to clinch more league points and add to the 37 points already gained.

 

barry smith after derby victory

Since I’ve come in, there have been good performances at home, but we needed a result – but our performance today lead to a good result but we will not get carried away with the result but it is a good result for us. Gary Holt has Falkirk playing very good this season but the way we set up – was to go and be positive and I thought we played well in the first half and capitalised in the second half. The performance was good in the first half but in the second half they lifted their game and started to believe again in their own ability which was built on their first half performance and also parts of the game last week against Queen of the South when we deserved something out of the game –they took the belief from that and I think that showed in the second half. We scored three goals after the sending off, but we had chances before as well, I don’t think the sending off was the turning point, more the fact the players took more belief in themselves. We said to the players last week – we need to get players in the box and two of our goals today were from crosses and that was from getting players in the box and the other goal was an excellent individual goal, three different scorers, all strikers, delighted for them. We still need to look after ourselves, Tuesday against Livingston, will be another important game for us, we just need to look at getting another three points and then we do not need to bother about anything else, we will bother about our selves and continue down that road. I have great belief in the players and I think in the second half they were starting to believe in themselves once again.
3 - 0
Full Time

Alloa Athletic v Queen of the South

Another frustrating game for “The Wasps” in the fact that it was another home game which ended without any reward. Every game at this stage of the season is going to be difficult but on Saturday the players can feel rightly aggreived that they picked up nothing in a game they deserved something out of the game. The first goal is always so important and Andy Dowie scored for Queen’s after only minutes with a header at the back post. “The Wasps” battled back and never gave in, Eddie Ferns did brilliantly well to get to the bye line and cut back for Andy Kirk who just failed to connect in front of goal.

 

barry smith after qos game

I thought the boys deserved to get something out of the game today, I thought in the first half it is as good as we have played since I have been here, we created chances, had a lot of possession and limited Queen’s to very little, obviously disappointed to lose the goal in the manner we did. The second half was scrappy but I think we did enough to take something from the game. The players showed a great reaction after going a goal down, they kept at it, the retention of the ball was much better than it has been previously at home, we just need to cut out the wee errors which are costing us big at the moment. We don’t look at our recent home form, we need to put it to the back of our minds you can’t keep thinking about it and move on to the next game and work hard towards the next game to do better and make sure we get three points next Saturday. We had selection problems prior to the came with Liam Lindsay, James Creaney and Jason Marr unavailable, but Daryll moved into central defence and did well and Jonathan Tiffoney has come and handled the situation well, it is not natural for him to play on the left but he did fine. Daryll Meggatt picking up another booking which will see him missing a game soon, probably in a fortnights time but we will wait and see, but “Tiffers” has shown he is capable to cover. We were light on numbers today and a couple of the boys on the bench were carrying knocks as well, so we can hope by next week they can be 100% fit. Graeme Holmes came off with a problem with his back, so we again will need to wait until training on Tuesday to see how he reacts. We need to concentrate on our own results and not looking at others round about us, we have to be picking up points we cannot hope that someone else doesn’t manage to pick up points – we need to make sure we pick up points and as long as we worry about ourselves we won’t be far wrong.
0 - 1
Full Time

Cowdenbeath v Alloa Athletic

“The Wasps” battled to their fourth game undefeated away from home when they faced Cowdenbeath at Central Park on Saturday. Despite going ahead in the game twice on Saturday, in very windy conditions, a point for “The Wasps” was a better point for them than Cowdenbeath, which still leaves a five point advantage with only nine league games left. Andy Kirk returned to lead the attack, with Eddie Ferns unavailable due to work commitments, and Darren Young was added to add steel in the midfield. The players battled throughout and took the lead in the fourth minute when Kevin Cawley played in Graeme Holmes close to the bye line and he managed to evade Lewis Milne and John Armstrong, before scoring from an acute angle, Rory McKeown trying vainly to stop the ball on the line. Greg Stewart did equalise for the home side eight minutes before half time with a great turn and individual skill. Cowdebeath then had the advantage of the strong wind in the second half and “The Wasps” had to thank Scott Bain for pulling off important saves as Cowdenbeath pushed to take the lead. Just before the hour mark Ryan McCord scored a terrific goal to put “The Wasps” 2-1 ahead. Rory McKeown, who is on loan to Cowdenbeath from Kilmarnock was causing the Alloa defence problems with his long throw ins directly into the box and Greg Stewart pounced on a clearance which he bulleted past Scott Bain for the equaliser. As time was running out Cowdenbeath had the last chance but again Scott Bain pulled off a great save to make sure “The Wasps” returned home with a deserved share of the points.

 

barry smith at central park

It was a good battling point, Central Park, Cowdenbeath is never an easy place to come but I thought the boys worked ever so hard to make sure we came away with something. A wee bit disappointed in the fact we were ahead twice, the players gave me everything they had and at times had to throw their bodies in front of shots and our keeper has had a couple of great saves, but it is another point gained, we would have preferred the three but we will take one point. Our away form has been good recently, we take confidence from coming to a place like Central Park and tried as hard as we did, we still came away with a point and that is now four games undefeated away from home so we now need to take that confidence into our home games. It wasn’t a great game, spoiled at times by the conditions, we are not kidding on it was very difficult conditions with the wind but these are the games you have to take something from, as I said we would have preferred the three points but conditions are like that we must we grateful to take the point.
2 - 2
Full Time

Alloa Athletic v Hamilton Academical

After collecting four points out of six in last two games, and starting to move up the league table, losing a goal as early as the 26th second of the game against one of the promotion favourites, Hamilton Accies certainly had a huge reflection in how the game transformed this time. Having already beaten Hamilton Accies on two previous occasions this season, concentration would be required for the full ninety minutes if we were to take something from yesterday’s fixture, but losing three goals inside the first twenty minutes of the game due to lack of concentration and clinical finishing by the visitors gave “The Wasps” a mountain to climb. In the second half the players kept going and showed great spirit but the damage had been done in the opening twenty minutes. Next week “The Wasps” will now travel to Central Park, Cowdenbeath in a huge game for both clubs.

 

barry smith after accies defeat

We had set up to make it difficult for Hamilton but if you concede a goal as early as we did, and the manner of the goal, it then makes it an uphill struggle. There appeared to be no communication in the mix up at the first goal which is something we should be doing better. After that, losing a goal as early as we did in the game, we never really got going, but the heads certainly never went down because we kept playing and definitely competed a lot better in the second half. It has been a hard week for us but we have picked up four valuable league points, people look at other results to teams round about us but we have just to concentrate on our results and we know we can do better than we performed today, next weeks game against Cowdenbeath will be a good game to be involved in. I don’t think I will need to pick the players up after today’s defeat but just make sure they do the right things, correctly next week from the first minute, we have had bad starts before but in the Raith Rovers game and also last Saturday against Morton we had very good starts in these games and that makes a difference. Hamilton Accies are a good team, I can’t take that away from them, they played well, they took their chances they were clinical, so credit to them for their performance.
0 - 3
Full Time

Raith Rovers v Alloa Athletic

 

barry smith at starks park

I am delighted with four points out of six from our last two games because they were two very difficult away trips. I was delighted the way the players dug in when they had to in the second half especially after the shift they put in against Morton at the weekend and we showed some good resilience. The boys are all very fit. We are a team that work very hard for the full ninety minutes and I think that shows. Liam is just a young boy but he has came in and did very well for us. He still has a lot to learn in the game but he definitely going in the right direction. There were at 1-1 some small chances for us. They had the majority of the play and there was a lot of good blocks from our defenders but you always hope you can maybe nick one on the break after defending so well. We just need to concentrate on ourselves and take all of the positivity from the last few games into the weekend now against Hamilton. Hopefully now the boys are starting to get that wee bit of confidence coming back as well as some self belief and we will take that into Saturday’s game.
1 - 1
Full Time

Greenock Morton v Alloa Athletic

 

barry smith at cappielow

Cappielow is a difficult place to come, but the boys started the game better than they have been doing in previous weeks and I think it gave us something to work with. I thought in the first half we did very well and in the second half, it’s what’s this league is all about – grinding out results and I am delighted the hard work, effort, commitment that the players have put in. Scott pulled off an important save from David Robertson, but I think he has done that all season and credit to him, when Morton had their chances he has pulled off the saves when required, but it was a great team effort, which is the most important factor, the team when required were able to grind out such an important result today. We are now looking forward to our next game on Tuesday night against Raith Rovers at Kirkcaldy, but hopefully the players can take a bit of confidence knowing if we have to grind out a result we will and if we get the chance to go and play, which is difficult in this league then we will go and try and play, people have said this is a big win but it is three points. We are at a stage in the season it’s a good three points. We want to concentrate on what we do and not get drawn on other results elsewhere – teams will pick up points and lose points from now till the end of the season, as long as we pick up more and look after ourselves that’s the main thing. At the end it looked like we could have had a penalty kick, the slide marks are certainly inside the box, but the referee has not given it, we have won the game, it didn’t matter as much but it would have been a different story had we not won. Tuesday night will be another tough challenge but one the boys should go into that game feeling good and better about themselves and looking to take today’s performance into Tuesday’s game.
0 - 1
Full Time