Reaction

Saturday’s Play-Off Final 2nd Leg v. Brechin City was a rollercoaster of a match which had everything for the fans who attended the game and others who watched live on BBC ALBA, the game was enthralling with both teams on the offensive from the kick-off, it was an incredible game and a great advert for the game of football.

Just as one team looked to have the advantage, there would be another twist and by the end of the regulation 90 minutes “The Wasps” lead 4-3, making the aggregate score 4-4. So to extra time for the second week in a row for both teams, again both teams had chances to score but with time running out it looked like the outcome of the game would be determined by penalty kicks.

Dylan Mackin rises to make it 4-3 on the day for “The Wasps”
Well done to all the players of both sides who stepped forward to take a penalty kick, but as always there has to be a winner and unfortunately for Alloa Athletic with the score at 4-4 after the initial five penalties each taken it went to sudden death and Iain Flannigan’s spot kick struck the post and went past, James Dale then had the opportunity to win the game for Darren Dod’s team, which he converted.

Losing a penalty shoot-out is always hard to take, it has been a fantastic season with so many highs to remember but it was not the end we had hoped for. It’s devastating as we put so much into the game, to finish the season second best club in the league, we knew counted for nothing, we’re bitterly disappointed , so neat yet still so far. Good luck to Brechin City as they head to the SPFL Championship next season.

jim goodwin after penalty heartache

Very difficult to put into words, it is definitely the lowest I have felt in my 20 years as a professional and being involved in the game, I can’t remember feeling as bad as this and I have suffered relegation in the past in my career.

Devastated for everyone connected to the club, the supporters, the board of directors, but more than anything I am absolutely gutted for the players, they have done so well this season, they have shown how good a team they are today, I felt we gave a better account of ourselves today than we did on Wednesday night, which is obviously pleasing but gutted for the players – they gave me absolutely everything and I couldn’t ask for anymore.

I think we proved over the season that we were the second best team in the league, being runners up to Livingston, but we knew that counted for nothing going into the Play-Off’s, we knew we had to be at our best on the day. I think we just have to give credit to Brechin City, I don’t want to over analyse the game too much, we were extremely disappointed to lose some of the goals we did today, but I don’t think today is the time to look at those type of things. I would like to congratulate Darren Dods, his back room staff and players and wish them well in the Championship next season.

The game was a much better spectacle than what Wednesday night’s game was  which could not have been great viewing on BBC ALBA, but tonight was a good advert for our league, I think it was two teams that gave it a right good go, every player out there was dead on their feet at the end, there wasn’t one player who came off who could have given any more but when it goes to penalties it is a lottery at the end of the day, you might as well toss a coin and do away with them, somebody has to miss, I feel gutted for Iain Flannigan he has been a fantastic player for us all season, for that to happen to him, I don’t think he deserved that, but I don’t believe anybody does, fair play to all the players who had the bottle to go and take a penalty, that is a hard thing to do, I’ve been in that position myself and it is very difficult to keep yourself calm, we just have to go again and come back stronger next season it’s as simple as that.

Nobody in the dressing room said a lot after the game because as you can imagine you could hear a pin drop in the dressing room, the boys are absolutely gutted and I am for them as well, but I did say to them they should try and remember what this feels like, we kind of experienced it at Livingston a few weeks back when they clinched the league, but in fairness to Livingston they deserved to win the league, so we must use this next year and make us stronger and try and make sure we can go and win the league next year and not having to rely on going up through the Play-Off’s.