Reaction

“The Wasps” will look back on this game knowing that they had a great opportunity to end their poor record against Dumbarton which now goes back to 13 games without victory. Alloa started the brightly at the Bet Butler Stadium and were the better team before a defensive mistake after 39 minutes gave Dumbarton the opening goal against the run of play. The Wasps had been creating chances, Greig Spence did have the ball in the net but the ball had gone out of play before being headed home, Liam Buchanan nearly scoring with his first touch of the ball after replacing Greig Spence, who had to be replaced after only 17 minutes after tightening of his hamstring. The second goal after 55 minutes came from a corner from ex Wasp Scott Agnew whose cross was headed home by Jordan Kirkpatrick who was not picked up. The Wasps were still in the game but could not convert their chances – Liam Buchanan, Eddie Ferns & Mark Docherty all having opportunities to get on the scoresheet, Mark Docherty then had an effort which came back off the post with the keeper beaten. Twelve minutes from the end Jordan Kirkpatrick went on a sol run, John Gibson saving his chip shot but the ball broke to another ex Wasp, Colin Nish who had only been on the pitch for five minutes to knock the ball into an empty net. The Alloa players never gave up and Stephen Simmons scored an acrobatic volley in the final minute to score a consolation goal.

barry smith at dumbarton

There was nothing in the game in the first half, until we gave them a goal, and that changes the way the game was played, we have created chances in the first and second half but if you don’t take them at one end and make mistakes at the other end, it becomes very difficult to win games.  We have gifted them goals today, the first one was a mistake, the second one at a set piece where the player was not picked up from, and the third goal we were pushing trying to get back into the game – but we must take our chances and learn the defend properly. Although Greig Spence had to come off after only 17 minutes, Liam Buchanan has come on and did well, obviously Greig has been playing extremely well and we can’t afford to lose your players who are playing well but we just have to get on with it. He felt a tightening of his hamstring and he asked to come off right away. Even after that we created chances throughout the game but we never took them and didn’t defend good enough to make sure we didn’t concede after doing so well in defending against Rangers last week. We now must look to get ready for another tough match next Saturday against Falkirk and we will look at it positively and go and make sure we do the right things.