Season: 2012-13
Dunfermline v Alloa Athletic
Paul Hartley has become the first ever Alloa Athletic manager to win back to back promotions, having also won the Third Division Championship last season, his first season since becoming Alloa Athletic manager and hanging up his boots. He is only the second ever Alloa Athletic manager to win promotion with “The Wasps” on two occasions, the other being Terry Christie in Seasons 2001/02 & 1999/2000. This season “The Wasps” finished 2nd in the league behind a superb Queen of the South team who won the league, setting a new points total having accumulated 92 points to beat the previous record held by Gretna. This season Paul Hartley’s side finished 2nd with a total of 67 points, two more league points than when they were pipped on goal difference in season 2009/10 when they had 65 points.
PAUL HARTLEY AFTER WINNING PROMOTION
I couldn’t have imaged this feeling when I took the job on, you don’t how it was going to turn out, what a rollercoaster I have been on in the past two years, it has been fantastic, some of the guys have been with us over the full two years, which has been full of joyous moments, but football has a strange way of working, you can get a bit of success, then you don’t get success and you are branded a failure, this wasn’t won over these last two games but over the season we have shown a great level of consistency. I thought we were fantastic today, I know Dunfermline got a goal and we were spooked a bit with that but Kevin Cawley could have scored a number of goals today especially in the first half had he been a bit more patient, the group of players in the dressing room are a great bunch of boys of seen that with their work ethic and their quality so I’m delighted for them. When you win things as a player you sort of take it for granted but it’s funny now as a manager – you are under pressure right away to win games – its pressure, pressure, pressure, and next season it will be the same again in the First Division, so we will look to have a good holiday, then look to the squad and look to bring in more quality players – I think we will look to enjoy tonight and the next few days but the last two games were high pressured games and I was under the scrutiny a bit, but we have come through it with flying colours. Dunfermline Athletic were not put in this position by their players or their manager it was mismanagement from the people were in charge of the club – it’s the way Scottish Football is at the moment you just need to look at Hearts, Rangers and Dunfermline who have been struggling financially – we cannot afford for our bigger clubs to be in such a financial mess and being put into the bottom tiers of Scottish Football. At Alloa I am on a small budget, it is the way we work, it’s what we are under with crowds of around 400, we need to work with what we have, its worked the last couple of years but I will try to get better players in and there will be a lot available on the market – full time football is not the as it was 15 or 20 years ago its different, players getting to 29/30 year old are looking for part time full and we think we are a good part time club, well run, financially we are well run but I will try to bring in new players, I’m sure there will be players who will be willing to play for us. It is good thing for chairmen that there is the potential for more money coming into the Scottish game, which should work its way down through the leagues – the more money the merrier but not a lot of managers might see the difference, will I see any, maybe, maybe not but I will just deal with it. It was a good turn out by the Alloa support today, but you would hope so it was a final and they came out in good numbers today but it would help my cause if we could get a few more through the gate. Some of the players are off on holiday at the start of the week to Magaluf, I hope they have a good time but I will need to start the planning for next season as soon as Tuesday night, I hope to speak to the players and let them know who is staying and who is going – that is the down side of football – letting people go, but somebody has to do it
 
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Alloa Athletic v Dunfermline
Alloa Athletic recorded a 3-0 victory in their first ever Live TV match in the SFL First Division Play Off Final 1st Leg, covered by BBC Alba. The victory, the clubs first over Dunfermline Athletic since 1st September, 1982 when “The Wasps” ironically defeated “The Pars” 3-0 in a League Cup Sectional match. On the evening Paul Hartley’s team can be proud of their display, the scoreline could have been even more such was Alloa’s dominence in the second half. However in the semi-final Dunfermline Athletic showed how they can turn the tables at East End Park and Paul Hartley and his team will give Jim Jeffries side every respect, knowing the game is still at half-time, nothing has been won yet.
PAUL HARTLEY AFTER FINAL 1ST LEG
I thought the second half performance was very good – the first half I wasn’t happy with, I know we went in 2-0 ahead but I was not happy in the way that we had played, but in the second half we were totally dominant. But we know that the tie is only at half time, I said that to the players, we know Dunfermline will be different when we play at East End Park, with a big crowd behind them and we have seen how they turned it round in the semi-final tie against Forfar Athletic. So we need to be aware of that, we will not go to East End Park to sit back, we will go and have a go again and try and hopefully score. I thought we were solid as a team, the back four were great, the goalkeeper didn’t have a lot to do, the midfield work was good and the front two were a handful. It was a good performance but we know the tie is not over. We are a fit team and we base our game on a lot of fitness, so I was not surprised we finished the stronger team, we kept going, I know Dunfermline are full-time – so our players will need to recover as soon as possible, they will be in tomorrow night to do a cool down and then we have to go again on Sunday with the same level of performance. At no stage did we think about sitting back, we just wanted to go for it, I told the players to keep going, keep passing the ball and we tried to do that, cutting them open at times – if our final pass or final shot had been a bit better we could have scored more goals but before the game I would have settled for 3 – 0. The players did themselves proud, I said to them before the game – Do yourselves justice, go and put on a big performance, there would be lots of people watching, it is the first time Alloa Athletic have featured in a live TV match, go and show how good a team we are and we managed to do that, it was a great atmosphere and that’s what the Play-Offs bring. Recreation Park is a passing surface, there is no complaints, there are no bobbles or bad bounces – I think it is probably the way forward for the weather we have in Scotland and especially in the lower leagues. Ryan McCord had to go off and is likely to struggle for Sunday, whereas Jonathan Tiffoney was just a bit of cramp so he should be ok.
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Alloa Athletic v Brechin City
Alloa Athletic reached the First Division Play off Final against Dunfermline Athletic after their 4-3 aggregate victory over Brechin City. The Wasps lead 2-0 from the 1st leg at Glebe Park, but an early goal by Andy Jackson got Brechin City back in the tie, Kevin Cawley’s 14th goal of the season levelled the scores on the day. Scottish Cup Final referee Willie Collum, then awarded a penalty to Brechin when Jonathan Tiffoney was adjudged to have blocked a shot with his arm, Alan Trouten dispatched the spot kick. back came “The Wasps” in a game they started to control. Calum Elliot was fouled in the box by Ewan Moyes and the ex Hearts striker slotted away the spot kick with great confidence. In the closing stages Alloa should have taken the lead but bad luck in front of goal saw the Brechin goal lead a charmed life, with Kevin Cawley’s effort come back out from hitting the inside of the the post. Well into stopage time Andy Jackson did bundle the ball over the line but Alloa and their fans knew they had reached the final after Calum Elliot stroked home the penalty kick.
PAUL HARTLEY AFTER PLAYOFF SECOND LEG
Quite an eventful game, a bit of a roller coaster, thankfully we have a chance to progress into the First Division. It was a great game, from end to end there were incidents and goals and it was good for the spectators but not good for my heart! The Brechin City players celebrated their goal close to our dug out and I celebrated our goal which I am entitled to do and then things spilled over a little bit – they thought I was a little bit disrespectful but I thought it was disrespectful of them in the first instance – I think you should be allowed to celebrate a goal but that is the way it goes – there was nothing really in it. After we were sent to the stand it made it difficult as it is hard to get your instructions across to the players when you are up there – it is much easier down there but that’s the way it goes sometimes. I am delighted for the players because they have worked so hard throughout the season and we have given ourselves a great chance., We will hopefully give Dunfermline Athletic a right game – I think on our day we can beat anyone – we anticipate there will be a big crowd here on Wednesday night but we will go into the game and we will have a go in both games we will not sit back and we will try and play as best as we can – I have a good group of players in there , I think we know what is in front of us two games to try and get us into the First Division which would be a magnificent achievement for a club like this. I think we are all looking forward to it – it’s preparation now for the guys – they have to prepare properly, be professional and show that they are ready for Wednesday night. It’s a great thing for the players and spectators to see the excitement here today and obviously the same at East End Park. I think we are crying out for something in Scottish Football to make the end of the season a bit more exciting – down in England where you see the play offs it’s a full house. I am hoping to be back on the touch line on Wednesday and looking forward to it – it will be a cracking game, Dunfermline Athletic have got some good young players but on the day we think we are a match for anyone – we will try and play in the proper way and the proper manner and we will go out to have a right go at them. We know Dunfermline will bring a big support so it will be good for our players to have that and hopefully our home fans will turn out and support us if it is as good a game as it was today I think the fans are in for a real treat over the next couple of games – that’s what you play football for – games like this, the excitement and to try and get to the next level.
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Brechin City v Alloa Athletic
Wasps take two nil lead into 2nd Leg of First Division Play Off Semi-Final after fine 2-0 victory at Glebe Park this evening
PAUL HARTLEY AT GLEBE PARK
I thought the team were absolutely fantastic tonight, we dominated the game. It’s a great result for us away from home and we know we have a strong squad. This is a terrific first leg result for us but the tie isn’t dead. It is only half time, we have seen how football matches can change and we know it will be another tough game on Saturday. We will stay aware of their threat for Saturday. We know they will play better on Saturday but we must go into the game with confidence. We approach the game like it is 0-0 again, it’s only half time. We have seen it happen before when a team has come back from this kind of margin so we will have to be aware of that and give Brechin the utmost respect and not get carried away. The players have been great tonight with this performance and no matter what happens at the weekend, they have been brilliant all season. I have a great bunch of boys here with a great work ethic. We played some lovely football at times and cut them open on a number of occasions and we could’ve scored more goals. We never panicked when Jason Marr went off injured the guys just slotted in with meggatt at centre back and docherty to left back and that shows what a strong squad we have and bringing Darren on just helped us to control things and see out the game. We can all talk about tactics but at the end of the day it comes down to players. If you have good players then you have a chance. Every game we line up and try to win it. We go to attack teams, we have a good belief about us and we try to play in the proper manner.
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