Reaction

Once again “The Wasps” will look back on the game against Queen of the South and reflect on what could have been, they got off to the best possible start with Graeme Holmes scoring a fantastic strike after only 35 seconds. Indeed Alloa had the ball in the net again in the first half, Mikk Reintam knocked the ball down for Robbie Crawford to net but the big Estonian was adjudged offside. The turning point of the game came immediately at the start of the second half when Queen’s broke from the kick-off, Iain Russell put through a ball wide on the left to Derek Lyle, who looked suspiciously offside, his cross was headed goalwards by Paul Heffernan, which was blocked by Andy McNeil but Gary Oliver reacted first and knocking in the rebound, ten minutes later Oliver again scored the winner, coming in at the back post. Alloa still had chances and on another day, Eddie Ferns shot from wide left of the box, came back off the post and cleared to safety.

danny lennon after queen of the south

Once again very disappointed not to be taking any points from the game, which is highly frustrating as it is, points that are going to help you survive in this league, so we are very disappointed in that. I think I said in my notes prior to the game looking over the first quarter of the season, where we have been in my assessment, and on what was required in the second quarter of the season, I felt that there were five of those games, in the first quarter, that we participated in and that’s not good enough that we deserved to come away with nothing playing second best and then there’s other games within that we have competed very well and you could say we deserved some points three games we deserved some points and then other games that we have picked up some points and played like winners.

Coming into the second quarter what has been pleasing is that we are not participating in those games we are competing in the games and that has to be what we are asking for, as a minimum. Today, I felt that once again the start of the second half they would come out with a big reaction but who was going to have the biggest reaction – I actually missed the first QOS goal as I was just coming out of the tunnel when the roar went up and that was highly frustrating because they have reacted and started better.

I actually felt that we played better in the second half than in the first half so there was a lot of pleasing stuff within that. Certainly within the first nine or ten minutes where they scored their two goals that is where we lost the game today. There was high levels of everything that we are looking for, players competing, Eddie Ferns when things are not going your way and you look at everything you may even look at outside influences today, maybe decisions not going your way but that is what it feel s like when you are in the position where we are. On another day Eddie Ferns strike maybe does not come off the post and go out the way, it maybe bounces off the post and goes another way – it does not fall kindly to our players– these are the thin margins that we keep talking about. We need to dust ourselves down. We now go to a place next week which is going to be a huge, a huge, challenge for us but one that we all signed up for and that was my message to them just now when you were a wee boy growing up and you had all those dreams and hopes it was going to stadiums like that and trying to fulfil that and going there to compete and I am delighted that over the last few weeks we are continuously competing in games and keeping ourselves in games.

As I said we go there , as a wee kid you wanted to go there and you wanted to play in stadiums that have a full house against what the experts will say good quality players , that is going to be the challenge for us but one that we certainly be prepared for – once again we will take our medicine, dust ourselves down and will be raring to go again – I have continuously said that it is important that we do start to pick points up – this season is not a sprint we are still in the marathon part, there is a lot of football still to be played as I said I am particularly pleased that we are keeping ourselves in the games at this minute in time – it was a terrific start for us – I don’t know if goals can come too early – I joked with a child at the side and said how long is there to go, after we scored – do you think we’ll hold on! It was a terrific strike and something we have encouraged the players to do – over the piece we have spoke about where your goals are going to come from and we need them from all quarters and it was terrific that “Homer” who he believes doesn’t have that type of thing in his locker, but I know that he has, and it is trying to get that out of him, a wonderful goal and one he will certainly cherish. I class Hibernian and Rangers as the top two with the big budgets and the ones that will be there at the end of the season competing for first and second. As for the other teams – I have continuously said it is what you bring on that day – on our day we will give any of the other 7 teams a games. What of other teams, do they have a bit of consistency – we have just got to relish the challenge, the points that we have gained – points we have picked up have been against bigger teams and we know more about these teams second time around and hopefully we can nullify what their qualities have and play to our strengths.