Once again “The Wasps” recorded another excellent result against Rangers in front of 50,349 fans at Ibrox on the day they were to receive the Ladbrokes SPFL Championship Trophy, this was not what was expected, certainly by the home fans, who were looking to party. Alloa manager Jack Ross must be pleased with the recent form of his players who are now unbeaten in four SPFL Championship matches. Enter Michael Duffy who took centre stage with his opening goal which silenced the home fans and gave his team great belief they could take something from the match. Alloa certainly didn’t play like a team who had already been relegated and deserved their point on the day, it was to be another memorable result for “The Wasps” who can look back in pride with some great memories in matches against Rangers over past couple of seasons.

jack ross after draw at ibrox

Immensely proud of the players today, because they came into an environment today against a team of Rangers calibre and did themselves proud, don’t for one second think that Rangers weren’t trying, that was evident from the touchline and technical area and from on the park, so we had to be really resilient, play disciplined football and had to carry some fortune on the day at times but equally so, we deserved what we got from the game.

We have spoken in the past at just how good Michael Duffy has been for us and today I spoke to him about having that belief if he got in the right areas and he took advantage of an early opportunity and gave us the perfect start, we knew he had that quality and he showed that again throughout the game, it was a special moment for him. We said before the game football is about memories and we had the chance to create a good one today and they did that.

We worked hard in midweek in training in preparation to try and nullify Rangers opportunities in the game, they had a lot of possession and we had to combat that and we did it very well, it is ok putting a plan in place but you need the players to go and implement and execute it and they did that really well.

We got a little bit of good fortune with the missed penalty, which I would like to see again, I wasn’t sure of the award at the time. However losing a goal so soon after was a blow just before half-time, it was not the type of goal I thought we might concede to Rangers, I think in fairness to Scott, I think he slipped as he went to come for it, which if he didn’t he would have come and collected, but after losing the late goal just before half-time the way we responded in the second half was brilliant. Scott has demonstrated once again today that he can play at the highest level and we have been fortune to have him because of the relationship I have had with him in the past as a player, he deserves to be playing for a full time club.

We are now unbeaten in our last four league matches, which includes matches against Hibernian and Rangers so we will want to carry that forum into our last league game against Dumbarton and take that momentum into the pre season and early part of next season.

The visit to Ibrox was never going to be an easy task for “The Wasps” against league leaders Rangers who had dangerously lost their first league game of the season the previous week against Hibernian. Following Rangers Remembrance Day tribute, the home side looked to take the game to their visitors but disappointingly an error allowed the home side to get the early lead they had hoped for, Andy McNeil being caught in two minds and put his weak clearance straight to Martyn Waghorn, who expertly shot the ball into the back of the net. Three minutes later James Tavernier doubled their lead with a well placed free kick. To their credit Alloa weathered the storm and created two gilt edged chances, five minutes before half time Michael Chopra looked to punish a Rob Kiernan error, having time to run in on goal his shot beat Rangers keeper Wes Foderingham, but came crashing back out off the crossbar, a minute later Eddie Ferns broke free on goal, but delayed his shot and Lee Wallace got back to somehow save the day. This was “The Wasps” best spell in the game and at this level you will be punished for not taking your chances. Barrie McKay then pounced on a poor Michael Chopra ball and the alert Waghorn again finished clinically. In the second half the Alloa players showed great determination and concentration to thwart the Rangers advances. Ex Rangers player Kyle McAusland had a headed attempt before Eddie Ferns turned sinner, with a stamp on Rangers youngster Jordan Thompson, which reduced Danny Lennon’s side to ten men. Seventeen year old Ryan Hoggan was then introduced to make his Wasps League debut, and deserving presence in the game. Then after all the good work in the second half, Nicky Clark made it 4-0 with a header deep into time added on, which was cruel, albeit a deserved win for Rangers.

danny lennon at ibrox

I take a lot of positives from today’s game, in terms of how well we competed, the attitude and application of the players was fantastic, however when you come to Ibrox you know that when you come up against a big club like this and Rangers had a point to prove, which made it doubly hard, after coming from a result last week when they lost to Hibernian, so they had a point to prove, why they believe they are the best in the league at this moment in time. They certainly did that today as well as the quality of the three goals in the first half, they were absolutely first class finishes from their point of view but like anything we certainly had a helping hand within that.

The teams are Worlds apart in terms of size, finances, etc, – I asked my players prior to coming here today to go out and compete and apply themselves with the right attitude and application they would be winners in my eyes, regardless of the score, so we will take these positives from the game today and we now have to put them together in the games, when we do not face the top teams like Rangers, with the same quality week in week out, unfortunately we will not be playing in such a wonderful environment as this every week but we will still need to go with the same frame of mind and we cannot let that level of performance drop.

It would have been very interesting if Michael Chopra’s shot which came back off the cross bar and the one where Eddie Ferns goes through, but it was wonderful defending from Lee Wallace to get back, probably no other Rangers player on the pitch would have got back, and goals certainly do change games, Rangers then went down the other end of the park and unfortunately for us Jason Marr slipped and as all good strikers do, Martyn Waghorn capitalised with a fantastic finish.

I thought Waghorn’s movement today was terrific, I thought even as well as we tried to plug the gaps –NASA couldn’t have kept track of him today with his movement, he was absolutely fantastic. The first goal we lost was a sore one I would like to see it again but from my first point of view I thought Andy McNeil should have picked it up, but other than that if he thought he couldn’t pick it up rather than kick it back into an area in the centre of the goal you have to put it into the Sandy Jardine Stand.

Quality players will punish you for wee mistakes, other weeks we might have got away with it with that kind of error. Even at two nothing down as early in the game, I still felt that having watched Rangers in the past, they never really got at us in terms that they did earlier in the season at Alloa, also when you are playing against the top teams you know a wee bit more about them and we knew a wee bit more about ourselves and while 4-0 looks bad, it terms of the result, but to come here and put on the level of performances we did for the club our size in a highly competitive league I thought we did absolutely well. My message at half-time was that we were never going to come back out and score four goals or three goals to get back in the game and the message to the players was not to allow it to go to four, five or six, which they can do to teams which has happened already this season.

So our aim was to stay to our game plan and make sure that we didn’t concede more and the most disappointing thing was then to lose the fourth goal in time added on, which put a slight damper on the second half performance.

Eddie Ferns made a rash decision, which we all saw, but he has held his hand up and apologised to his teammates which I greatly admire that he was wrong, which made it even more difficult for us. It was also great to give 17 year old Ryan Hoggan his league debut and for him as a young player to come here and get a wee flavour of the environment, we hope he grows in it and takes all the experience in.

In a remarkable day for the club and their fans, Alloa Athletic not for the first time this season came back from behind and scored an equaliser at Ibrox, showing great character and more importantly collecting another vital league point which was deserved on the night. Alloa Athletic had already grabbed the headlines earlier in the day after unveiling Michael Chopra as their most recent signing. This was another game Rangers under their new manager Stuart McCall were looking to kick start their season, but “The Wasps” have their own need for points and stunned the home fans by taking the lead early in the second half when Ben Gordon scored with a header. Rangers upped their tempo and two quick fire goals by Nick Clark within five minutes of each other looked to turn the game in the home sides favour, but this Alloa side have shown in the past they can come back from going behind to the Ibrox side. Eight minutes from time Ryan McCord put through a superb pass between two Rangers defenders and into the path of Liam Buchanan who ran on and clipped the ball past the despairing Cammy Bell and into the empty net, no more than “The Wasps” deserved on the night.

paddy connolly at ibrox

Obviously delighted to get a point, for teams like ourselves in the position we are in the table, we knew it was always going to be difficult coming to places like Ibrox, especially with the new management of Stuart McCall & Kenny Black coming in, you always get a reaction when a new manager comes in, especially at a massive club like Rangers. So from our point of view, great to get a point but maybe I’m being a wee bit greedy thinking we could maybe of stole all three, obviously delighted but I said to the players in the dressing room, you gave your lot, but I know our players always give everything, the one thing which has maybe let us down is results, in terms of points on the table, because we have always been in games, it is a great point and hopefully it will lift the spirits of the players, it feels like a victory coming here and getting a point, but I think it would be fair to say, we deserved it. We scored two great goals from our point of view, the first goal is a great header from Ben, if I am honest it is something he should be doing more often this season, he laugh’s as Ben is sitting next to him at time. My plan when we went 2-1 down in quick succession was to bring on a forward, we lost two goals maybe playing a bit deep at times, because we managed to get a goal in front it’s only natural and I was about to change it and go with another striker up top to try and get back in the game and it scuppered my plans when Buck’s equalised and that changed the mentality again. So delighted for the club and the players and we roll on to Saturday now when we will face Raith Rovers. Michael Chopra coming to the club was a no brainer, once I knew it could happen, a player with his Premiership experience and still only 31, I am hoping he can add something to the team and maybe give us these extra points we need to stay in this division. It’s good to move back up the table above Cowdenbeath but they still have a couple of games in hand, but there are massive games ahead, we know it is still in our hands but I don’t want to look further forward than Saturday’s game at Kirkcaldy, so there is a long way to go there are still seven league games to go which means 21 points to play for, so when you are down at our end of the table every point is a prisoner. The Chairman has asked me to take the manager’s position on a caretaker basis but I cannot look any further than Saturday, so at this time I am picking the team on a game to game basis, but our guys are a great bunch who have worked under Paul & Barry, Barry has added to the great work done by Paul, the players give an unconditional work rate no matter who the manger is, me in a short term and that’s great credit to the players.

Barry Smith’s Alloa Athletic side recorded one of the club’s most historic results on Saturday at Ibrox, coming from behind to secure a well earned draw, the first time “The Wasps” had scored at Ibrox since Willie Crilley had scored on 26th February, 1921. Liam Buchanan scoring six minutes after the home side had taken the lead, Alloa Athletic showed great quality and determination to score a goal of their own, following a great move Kevin Cawley’s shot was parried by Rangers keeper Steve Simonsen and Liam Buchanan was alert to score his 7th goal in the last 8 matches for “The Wasps” slamming the ball high into the net.

Rangers had opportunities in the first half with Craig McDowall saving well from Kris Boyd & Lewis MacLeod, who had been allowed to play for the home side having been called up to Scotland International squad earlier in the week.

Alloa played their own part in the game with Daryll Meggatt, Michael Doyle & Kevin Cawley having efforts saved. The result was no less than “The Wasps” deserved on a day the Alloa players and fans will never forget.

barry smith after draw at ibrox

I think we should focus on how good Alloa were in the game, for as much as people will talk about how Rangers played, I am not interested in how Rangers played but how Alloa Athletic played, and I think all the credit should go for the way we came here and defended resolutely but also when we had the chance to play, we played. The goal summed that up, and I just keep telling Liam to keep doing what he is doing, by putting the ball in the back of the net, he works hard and deserves the goals that he is scoring because of his work rate. Our hard work has been behind our best results this season, these boys never know when to give in, they give everything they have got and we have a wee bit of quality in there as well which can win games or get results, but their hard work is second to none. I think a lot of credit should go to our players they played some very good football and the goal was a good goal, we kept the ball and they work hard to be able to show they can play that football, so the work rate comes first then we know given the chance we will keep the ball and play and create opportunities. It was good to get a quick reply after Rangers had went in the lead, but I know my players will never give in and they never let their heads go down and sometimes teams go to Ibrox and loose a goal and it becomes three or four but we always knew we were in that game and to score so soon after Rangers had taken the lead was pleasing to me. The semi final match is still a few weeks away and we will concentrate on that  nearer the time when it comes around, our next important game is against Falkirk next week.