Reaction

Alloa Athletic continued their great Scottish Cup record against Raith Rovers which has now seen “The Wasps” win their last four times when drawn against the Kirkcaldy side in 2010/11, 2008/09, 2004/05 & 1965/66, indeed the last time Raith Rovers defeated Alloa in the Scottish Cup was back in Season 1961/62 when they won 2-1 at Recreation Park. This was a wonderful game of football in which Allan Maitland’s side turned on the style. The team had a boost prior to kick-off which the news that Michael McGowan’s clearance had come through from FIFA and this gave the side a boost. However make no mistake Raith Rovers came to Recreation Park desperate for a victory and in the first twenty minutes showed just how good a side they are, indeed the turning point in this game was Billy Gibson’s goal line clearance when Laurie Ellis so nearly put the visitors 2-0 ahead, which would have been a big ask. Alloa then started to win the 50/50 balls and started to show how they could play. Kevin McDonald was then to go on and score a hat-trick, the first by an Alloa athletic player for nearly three years, the last Alloa player to score a hat-trick was Graeme Brown in a League game at Central Park in a 4-1 victory on 16th December, 2007. Kevin McDonald produced a wonderful individual performance but the team started to play like we know they can and lets hope this form can be taken into our League campaign and we kick start our season. The scoreline no way flatters “The Wasps” – Bryan Prunty had a effort chalked off in the first half and Michael Dunlop had a wonderful chance in the second period to increase the margin. The club will now look forward to the Scottish Cup 4th Round draw and enjoy the occasion.

allan maitland after scottish cup progression

I thought we were magnificent, Kevin McDonald’s three goals were absolutely top drawer, we have brought him to the club because we felt we lacked a bit of flair and invention in the middle of the park, but he has added something else to the game which has been goals, he had scored six goals before today but his hat-trick today was absolutely fantastic, but I have got to give credit to Raith Rovers who are top of the First Division and for the first twenty five minutes you could see why, they were all over us, I don’t know if we gave them too much respect but in was 1-0 and if Billy Gibson didn’t clear the ball off the line I think the game would have been a long way back for us but Billy clears it off the line, I t was a great save and then we started to show a wee bit belief, we had changed it and went two up front at that stage rather than the three up front and that has helped us, Stuart Noble starts to cause them a bit of problem and then it was the Kevin McDonald show from then on in, I thought we thoroughly deserved it, stretched them all over the park and at half-time I was saying even although they were down to ten men they will still be very dangerous and rather than sit in I wanted us to have a real go at them in the first fifteen minutes and the third goal early in the second half just about killed it, but it is a great day for us, we have a good record against Raith Rovers here and a bit of pressure to keep that going, I cannot express how pleased I am,
I thought our players were fantastic, other than the first twenty five minutes when I thought we stood of them to much but we were playing a quality side and at times we horsed them off the park, maybe that’s a bit extreme but some of the movement and play was great and the sending off wouldn’t have helped them either but I thought the referee was excellent, great day for us, played really well, we need to make sure we can take that into our league season and built on the this, but fantastic.