Competition: League 2
Alloa Athletic v Annan Athletic
Alloa Athletic ended a fantastic season with a hard fought draw against Annan Athletic, who threatened to spoil the party ocassion. A crowd of 2,551 fans were inside Recreation Park to witness “The Wasps” collect the Third Division Championship trophy for only the second time in their history. Annan Athletic afforded Paul Hartley’s team a guard of honour at the start of the match, but their goodwill ended there, as often happens on these ocassions it was not the champions who looked at their best and Graeme Bell, deservedly put the visitors ahead just aftet the half hour. The Alloa Athletic players have done brilliantly all season but in the first half they didn’t play well and had Scott Bain to thank for keeping them in the match. In the second half Alloa dominated possesion but it didn’t look as though it was going to be Alloa’s day, until three minutes from the end Stevie Masterton struck the post with a vicious free kick and Steve May was on hand to score his 19th goal of the season to cheer up the large home support. Indeed two minutes later Stevie Masterton nearly found a winner but his free kick on this occasion just flew inches over the bar.
paul hartley after final game of the season
We were not at our best today, it wasn’t good, a lot of people came to watch and putting on a performance like that wasn’t great but we got ourselves back into the game in the second half. We’ve had one home defeat all season and we beat our previous Third Championship winning tally by gaining 77 points. The players have done brilliantly over the season, they have been absolutely magnificent. You always have expectations and you always want to try and get promotion but sometimes it doesn’t turn out that way. I’ve got to give the players great credit, they’ve been magnificent. We’re going up to a higher division next season so it will be tougher. Our aim is to encourage people to come and watch us, so we hope some of the 2,551 people who we at the game today will come back next season – I think we have to try and consolidate because we know we’re up a league – we are in the process of speaking to a few more players – we’ve already tied up ten and got two or three pre-contracts. The pressure will be on us to move up a division and do well. I’ve committed myself for the next two years and it’s a building job here. Our ambition is to reach the First Division so we will have a right go at it and see where it takes us.
 
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Clyde v Alloa Athletic
After going ahead after only six minutes at Broadwood, Stevie May scoring his 18th goal in 21 games for the club, “The Wasps” appeared to sit on their early lead and not capitalise on their opening goal. Paul Hartley’s men still had chances but were to be punished for not extending their lead. The home side were unfortunate to have a goal disallowed just before half time as the fought to get back into the game. Credit has to be given to Jim Duffy’s side for they way they fought back into the game and ex Alloa player Pat Scullion, playing up front scored the goal which earned Clyde a deserved point. The draw now means Paul Hartley’s team have 76 points, equal with Tom Hendrie’s 1997/98 Third Division Champions, however in our final home game next Saturday against Annan Athletic the team will have the chance to beat that total and finish the season on a high in style.
paul hartley at broadwood
We were a little bit flat today – we started really well in the first 15 minutes we were excellent after that it was not great. We were excellent last week I think we just took our foot of the gas a little bit – I thought during the first 15 minutes I was enjoying it but the rest of the match I didn’t enjoy – we didn’t pass well, the tempo of play was too slow, decision making was poor – the main thing is that we didn’t get beat. I didn’t think Clyde looked like scoring today but all credit to them they worked hard. We still had the best chances of the game. We scored a great goal – we have done well all season passing the ball , but we look forward to next week when we get the trophy – that has been the reward for all the hard work – at the start of the season we said we wanted to be in the top four and we managed to do that in style, so next week will be great – we are hoping for a big crowd – we want to put on a performance I don’t want it to be flat – I want to go and win the game – we want to encourage as many people as we can to the game and hopefully come back again.
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Alloa Athletic v Stranraer
Alloa Athletic returned to winning form, defeating a Stranraer side for the 4th time this season who will be looking to gain promotion still through the Play-off system. There was no complacency in “The Wasps” display after their unchararcteristic result last week at Shielfield, Paul Hartley’s side desrved their 3-1 victory which could have been so much more but for the display of visiting keeper David Mitchell, who was excellent. The 2011/12 Third Division Championship winning side have now collected 75 points, only one less than Tom Hendrie’s 1997/98 Third Division Championship winning side who collected 76 points for the season and with two games and six points still available Paul Hartley’s side will look to finish the season in style.
paul hartley after stranraer victory
I am delighted – our performance was great today the players were tremendous and some of the football was fantastic today. We scored three goals and could have scored more. The goals were great – Ryan McCord’s two goals were outstanding and Robbie Winters showed his experience again – he was fabulous again today for us. I know what I get from my players – last week was most unlike us but it was because we had made so many changes but I did expect a lot better last week but overall during the season they have been absolutely magnificent and today again just shows how good a team we are. We are still hungry even though we have won the league we still want to win every game. I still want to finish the season on a high and we still have a lot to play for and get as many points and goals as we can and finish the season on a real high. The team have came on leaps and bounds throughout the season – they get better and better as the weeks and months have gone on – I know what to expect from my players and know the standards we have set. As soon as we clinched the league I started to look forward to next season and try to get things in place and try and improve the squad and try and make everything better but it will be a real challenge for us next year. There is no doubt about it – it will be much tougher and we will need to work hard and get things in place.
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Berwick Rangers v Alloa Athletic
“The Wasps” were taught a footballing lesson at Shielfield yesterday that the season does not finish until the 5th May, 2012, the Alloa Athletic travelling support and players were still caught up in the euphoria of winning the league last Saturday and the game passed them by. Certainly manager Paul Hartley had made wholesale changes to the side but on the day Berwick Rangers were simply far better and deserved their win, indeed all the top four sides in the division were to lose yesterday but with three gtames still to play I am certain Paul Hartley and his side will what to return to winning habits and sweep yesterday’s game under the carpet, we still have nine more league points to play for and can still top Tom Hendrie’s sides Championship winning total of 76 points gained in Season 1997/98 when we last won the Third Division Championship.
paul hartley after berwick defeat
I think the changes I made today in hindsight I shouldn’t have made them but I expected a little bit better from the guys that I brought in to the team, it was an all round poor performance from the guys – I am not taking anything away from Berwick Rangers, we just didn’t play well today. We were not at the races, we were sloppy, we were just poor in every department of the park today so I have got no complaints about the score line – it could have been more, we know we have to get better than that, and I am not going to accept it. It was a disappointment after last weeks win against Elgin and I am not going to lie, I expected better today – I rested a few of the players, the players who have been playing every week, sometimes you think it’s a good idea and then you look at it and say maybe I shouldn’t have done that but I have got to have a look at other players in the squad because some of them have not been playing a lot this season and I have got to have a look at them and see how they can perform. We just didn’t perform well – I felt that for the full team that played today that none of them would get a pass mark. So we have got to do better next week – I am sure we will do – I am not accepting that again. I want to win every game – I said that to the guys before today’s game – we are not coming here just for a jolly – we came here to win the game but we just didn’t perform. It’s not like my players they have been absolutely magnificent all season but I understand that when you win the league sometimes the season peters out but I am not going to have that. Berwick Rangers might not have anything to play for on the face of it, but all players have contracts to play for and they looked hungrier than us, they were better than us it is as simple as that – I have no complaints about that but we still have three games to play this season and I will look to end the season playing to win the games.
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Alloa Athletic v Elgin City
Alloa Athletic won the The Scottish Football League Third Division Championship in style yesterday, turning on some of their best football of the season to defeat Elgin City 8-1 and put on a great show for their fans. This is now the tenth time the club have won promotion, eight of these have come since the end of the Second World War, the last time the club won the Third Division Championship was at the end of Season 1997/98 when manager Tom Hendrie’s side won with with a record of – Played 36 Won 24 Drawn 4 Lost 8 Goals For 78 Goals Against 39 Points 76 – Paul Hartley’s side have done brilliant,but I’m sure they will now try to beat Tom Hendrie’s record the side currently have Played 32 Won 22 Drawn 6 Lost 4 Goals For 65 Goals Against 31 Points 72.
paul hartley after winning league
Honestly today is unbelievable – the way the day panned out and the way my team performed, I am so proud of them. It is a special moment for myself but the players have worked ever so hard, they deserve it. It’s all about the guys we are nothing without the players – we try and prepare them and get them as fit as possible – but once they cross that line it is up to them to. We need guys out there who are good footballers and do the business, they need a will to win and they have had that since the first day they came in for pre-season. I am proud of them it is a great achievement for them but today was just unbelievable, the way we played is the sort of football we have been playing most of the season and to score eight goals, I know they are down to ten men but it wouldn’t have mattered if they had eleven we would still have won that game convincingly, just because of the way we were at the game. Our performance and attitude I am so proud. I have done a lot in my career but this is my best moment and if you see the guys in there because this does not happen all the time – I tell them that – savour this, especially the young players – some of the older players have never won anything – my assistant manager, Paddy Connelly has never won a thing and has been in the game 20 years. This is my greatest achievement and I know I have won title with Celtic and the Scottish Cup but this is up there with the best. I will now enjoy the occasion and enjoy next week and take it all in. I will enjoy tonight, it is fantastic. It’s not an easy thing to do, to score eight goals at any level of football but Stevie May was on fire and he wanted to score and we could have scored more. Everybody wanted to score. The full team was magnificent. A magnificent achievement for us to have only four defeats in thirty two games – and we will look to win every game between now and the end of the season – we are looking to get as many points as we can. We have 72 points just now – Livingston won the league with 72 points and they were full time two years ago – this just shows you what our team is about – we have had to build from scratch. The fans were brilliant today, everybody was great, it’s a team effort here, that’s what we tried to do when we came in we wanted everybody to be positive because the club had been on a bit of a downer with relegation and we had to build again and people took a look at the Chairman and said it was taking a bit of a gamble getting relegated and taking on a rookie manager – I have got to give my Chairman so much praise because he did take the chance on me – anything I have asked for he has tried to give me and I am so pleased for him because he has taken a lot of stick over the last 18 months to 2 years. We are back to hopefully where we belong and we can try and kick on from here.
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