Reaction

Victory today against Brechin City ended the season on a high note, the club eventually finishing 8th in the league, Arbroath’s shut out against Raith Rovers at Stark’s Park enough to keep John McGlashan’s side ahead of the Wasps on goal difference. A Greig Spence double before half time had people asking when an Alloa Athletic player had last scored a hat-trick at Recreation Park – 28th Nov, 2005, Ian Nicolson in Scottish Cup victory over Selkirk 9-0 or 31st January, 2004 when a Ross Hamilton hat-trick helped “The Wasps” defeat Forfar Athletic 4-0 in the league. The home side played well and at 2-0 ahead they might have increased their lead with efforts from John Grant and Andy Scott going very close. However Brechin City scored a good goal from the dangerous Stephen Ettien and then equalised when a long Ian Nimmo ball into the box was turned into his own net by keeper Raymond Jellema. However Alloa showed great character and substitute Hugh Kerr put over a great cross which top scorer Andy Scott headed past Craig Nelson to give the home side a deserved 3-2 victory.

allan maitland after survival secured in the final game

Its nice to finish the season with a bit of form, we certainly needed to find that form or we would have been in a play off spot, two wins and two draws at the end of the season was decent, but it is unfortunate it has taken so long for it to come I have to say, it has been a very disappointing season for us. However the one big plus for us is to finish the season with Greig Spence scoring goals, I’m hoping that will be a big plus for us for next season, in my whole time here with Alloa Athletic, we have struggled to find an out and out goalscorer, I think Brian Carrigan has helped him enormously, Greig has a bit of composure in front of goals which we have been missing, along with a natural thing that strikers have of finding space in the box, I was pleased for him today, because his two previous goals for the first team had been away from home and it was nice for him to score in front of his home supporters and getting his cheer coming off the park. It was important for us to win today, last game of the season, finish on a high, go and enjoy your summer, I have made a lot of changes already as far as the squad is concerned and there will be more to come, we need to try and strengthen and do better next season, I’m pleased to see us win today. Brechin were in a situation today where they are in the play off’s and they wouldn’t want to hammer in to it in case you get injured but as soon as they went 2-0 down and managed to get a goal back at 2-1 all of a sudden it was a game, your natural instinct kicks in and you want to get back in the game, they scored a second and had a bit of ascendency but we changed things, we brought on Shug Kerr and he did excellent setting up the winning goals, and again we ended up with four of our under 19’s on the park in the last part of the game. Shug did well and I put him on to gain experience today to see whether or not he is capable of doing it next season, so I was pleased to see him set it up the winning goal and Andy Scott score with only his second header of the season, because we have been counting them. Raymond Jellema has also asked be to point out the second Brechin City goal was an own goal my him in his final game for the club and not a Chris Townsley own goal!