Season: 2022-23
 
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Alloa Athletic v Kelty Hearts
Alloa kicked off the first home game of the league season by taking on Kelty Hearts. The League 2 Champions were praised for being the better team against Edinburgh from the opening day but like Alloa came away with no points to show after a 2-0 defeat.
Alloa made one change as Church dropped to the bench to accommodate captain Mark Durnan while notable absentees for the Fife side included goal talisman Nathan Austin and Kallum Higginbotham.
The opening of the game seemed to go the way of Kelty with the visitors enjoying possession and getting a few breaks over the Alloa defence. Agyeman’s deflected effort after just 5 minutes was stopped by the quick reactions of Hogarth and just 40 seconds later the striker again got a break of the ball and clear path to goal but could only strike over.
Kelty would rue those misses. After 11 minutes, a route one kick from Hogarth and a piercing run from Sammon won a corner. Stefan Scougall flighted the ball into the six yard box and inexplicably Jamieson carried the ball over the line into his own goal.
Alloa from there went from strength to strength with Scougall again being freed after a superb move inside the 18 yard box but this time it was solid handling from Jamieson to deny the Alloa maestro.
Sammon would sclaff an air shot after another tidy move down the right and pinpoint cross from Cawley and Adam King would head tantalisingly wide from a superb lob into the six yard box by MacIver, and then finally, MacIver was flagged offside after what looked a golden opportunity to double the lead after Andy Graham’s flick on was directed to him alone at the back post. Jamieson saved the effort but MacIver’s head was in his hands with the magnitude of the chance.
The second half was very stop-start with substitutions but Church, Robertson and Rodden all made their appearance within 17 minutes of the restart for Durnan, Cawley and Scougall respectively.
Rodden made an instant impact. With a qualified left back on the field, Taggart, from his natural side, scooped a sublime first time cross to the back post and Bradley Rodden duly connected with his head to fire home for his first Alloa league goal.
Alloa looked to be managing the game out but on 81 minutes another horrendous gaffe from Kelty between Jamieson and Logan left Bradley Rodden with the easiest of finishes into the back of the net to cement the result.
A late cross from Cardle would be directed into the bottom corner off Andy Graham’s head but it was little but consolation for the visitors as Alloa comfortably saw out the remainder of the game to chalk up their first league win of the season.
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Dunfermline v Alloa Athletic
Brian Rice, Alloa Athletic manager:
I thought we were the better team by 100 miles, better chances and it’s a fluke goal. It’s a cross, the wind’s caught it. I can’t ask any more of my players. Part-time team coming here, again, against Dunfermline, great crowd in, great atmosphere, fantastic pitch. I thought my boys put everything into the game.
I keep saying to them, ‘give me everything you’ve got and we can go home happy.’ They gave me that and more and I’m aggrieved we didn’t take anything away from the game, and that’s taking nothing away from Dunfermline. I’m talking about my own team.
the goal’s a freak goal, that’s what beat us.
I don’t think it was a penalty but I’m lead to believe the header was over the line early on. I can’t tell from where I am, and we’ve not got VAR, it’s just the big boys that get VAR. We’re not part of Scottish football. I’m a wee bit aggrieved at that. I don’t know if it was a goal or not, it wasn’t a penalty, the ref made a good call. And the goal’s a freak goal, that’s what beat us.
I don’t think Jay had a lot to do. I know he had one or two. What about their goalkeeper’s saves? What about the one that hit the bar? What about the one that’s went over the line? I concentrate on my own team. We competed really well, we had a few call offs: Jon Robertson called off ill, big Andy was suspended so we’re light at centre half. Big Vinnie has just come back, he’s only trained for two nights in six weeks threw him straight in there. Everybody played their part.
I’m really disappointed because I think we done enough to win the game, never mind draw it. On our strikers, they’re a handful. I thought first half they could have done a wee bit more, spoke to them at half-time and second half they were really at it. You can see why we signed Scougall for another year. When he gets on the ball he makes things happen.
He’s an integral part of what I’m trying to do here. I need him to get a couple of more goals and he had a couple of efforts which was encouraging and I think on another day it could have been a different outcome but it wasn’t and we are disappointed.
I’m disappointed with the result, I’m not disappointed with the performance. If we perform like that we’ll be okay.
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Dunfermline v Alloa Athletic
Brian Rice, Alloa Athletic Manager
We deserved to get the extra point with our performance. I thought Dunfermline had a couple of chances to put the game to bed but the longer the game went on, especially in the second half, I thought we were outstanding. Some of our play was sensational.
For a part-time team what a week we’ve had. Long journey up to Buckie and back and then playing a Premier League top six team on Tuesday night and pushing them to the last minute and then coming here. The effort has been unbelievable from the boys, they’ve gave me every ounce of effort and sweat that they’ve got. I need to look after them now because we’re back here next week.
the longer the game went I think there was only going to be one winner.
We work hard. We know what we’re trying to achieve. I expect effort, I expect commitment, I expect them to be proud of the jersey they’re wearing. Some of the football we played, it’s right up there. I’m absolutely delighted with them.
That’s how we want to play. We’ve got the big boys up top but we’ve got the boys that can play. Look at Scougall in the second half. He was unplayable. Dunfermline are a good team, they’re a strong team and they had chances to go 2-0 up, my keeper was brilliant at the beginning of the second half, he kept us in it.
But the longer the game went I think there was only going to be one winner. That’s the end of the cup run for us, we’re disappointed at that but we’ve held our head high in it, we’ve put in good performances so it’s onto league business. Every game’s different. The formations might be different, big Andy is suspended next week. One door closes and one door opens.
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