Reaction

Relegation to Division One for next season was confirmed for “The Wasps” after yesterday’s match at the Tony Macaroni Arena in Livingston, which ended 0-0. However like so many of the recent games for the club, the players commitment and effort could not have been questioned, but the lack of a cutting edge in front of goal has cost the team this season with only 17 league goals from 32 matches.

Yesterday was another day where the margin in taking something from the game was at it’s finest, prior to the match the pitch was heavily watered which made the surface slippy for both sides which got worse in the second half after a period of torrential rain. The game was never a classic, but “The Wasps” will look back at chances in the second half for Michael Duffy, Iain Flannigan & Isaac Layne which could have claimed a winner, before pushing forward with five minutes to go, they got caught on the break, which provided the games biggest talking point, Steven Hetherington tried to get back to clear from the on rushing Jordan Sheerin, whom he tripped as the player looked in a great position to score.

The referee, Alan Muir, red carded Steven Hetherington and awarded a free kick on the edge of the box, which was eventually cleared and the game ended 0-0 which meant Alloa Athletic will be playing their football in the SPFL Division One next season. The players however still have four big matches remaining this season in The Championship, including three at home when they will look to end their season on a high, while the planning for next season must start now.

jack ross at livi

It’s probably been the story for us for two or three months now, that we haven’t been scoring enough goals, certainly I can only speak from December, but in a lot of occasions we have played well and created opportunities but when you don’t take them it makes it difficult, certainly the players knew the potential outcome of today, if we didn’t achieve three points and I stressed to them to show pride and they did that in abundance, I don’t think I could have got anymore out of them in effort levels and performance, because they played well in parts of the game, so nothing to be ashamed of from their point of view, certainly now their pride is hurt, frustrated all these things but certainly not embarrassed.

We were conscious that this day could come with the way results have been in the last few weeks it meant it was probably inevitable, I certainly do not think that is reflected in their play or performances, I certainly feel for them more than anything else, my job is to try and get the best from them and hope the players get the rewards for that, I don’t suppose it really sinks in properly until you come away from it because you are still thinking of the game that has just went, of course we are hugely disappointed, it’s the first time I have experienced this in my playing or coaching career, and my message is this “Remember the feeling and you don’t want to experience it again” and hopefully if I’m part of things here, that we are chasing a title next season. This is the crappy side of the game but sometimes you have to experience to enjoy the good times even more when hopefully we are given that chance.

We still have really good games coming up, Hibernian next week, we still have to go to Ibrox these are great game to be involved in and it means the players will not relax and still play with the same intensity and pride and want to finish the season on a high and get rewards for what they could have had already. The first home win was one of the first things I said to the players when I came here that must be our objective, we were unfortunate when the game was abandoned due to the snow and we have had injury time goals which have denied us that but we still have three opportunities to put that right, we will take one, trust me.