Reaction

It was the Hibernian supporters who were wishing the full time whistle as “The Wasps” who were missing six first team players pushed for an equaliser but it just wasn’t to be on this occasion. Hibs are a much improved side from the team which played at Recreation Park in August, they had a lot of possession but on the day lacked a cutting edge. Alloa took the lead and Hibernian keeper Mark Oxley will not want to see the goal again, Daryll Meggatt’s 30 yard shot was on target but looked to be heading straight for the keeper until he let it slip through his legs, 1 -0. The wasps then had a great chance to go 2 – 0 ahead when Ryan McCord sent Kevin Cawley clear through on goals, but unfortunately his shot was wide and a great chance lost. Hibs came back scored from a free kick after Mark Docherty was penalised for hand ball and David Gray put the visitors in front with a looping header. After the interval “The Wasps” pushed for an equaliser but the Hibernian defence stood resolute. Three minutes from the end of the game Hibernian striker Dominique Malonga was given a straight red card after aiming a kick at Ben Gordon.

barry smith after cup exit at hibs

We put a lot into the game and I don’t think we deserved to get beat, Hibs had a lot of possession and played well I thought but so did our boys, we have to remember that we have a lot of injuries at the moment and we had young kids on the bench and to put up a performance like that against a full time side like Hibs,  I think the boys can take a little bit of credit, were not happy at getting beat without a doubt but there is a lot of positives to take from that game. Kevin Cawley had a great chance to make it 2 – 0, he got himself into that position to score and we know if we had taken that chance it would have been 2 – 0 and a totally different game, these things happen but we will not get on to him for not taking the chance but he get into a good position and it would have been a different game had it gone 2 – 0 and taken that chance. We will now look to taken the momentum of that game into Wednesday night’s game against Rangers, what we have to remember we are going into a midweek game with a depleted squad, against Rangers, it’s a semi-final which all the players will want to play in, but it’s not easy  we are a part time club and these guys will be working on Wednesday before they come to a semi final which I’m not sure that is quite correct because some of them might never have the chance to play in another semi final in their career, so that part and parcel but we cannot get away from the fact this performance will hold them in good stead. We had six first team players missing today and at best, maximum one, will be available for the squad on Wednesday night. It was difficult to change things today, we had young kids on the bench, that are untried at this level of football, so we are limited as to what we could do to influence the game but I don’t think with the players I had today, I could ask them for more, because we created chances in both halves of the game, we defended well, I don’t want to take anything away from Hibs because they had a lot of good possession and a lot of good wee passing moves, but our boys put their bodies on the line, throwing bodies in front of things to make sure any shots at goal were either deflected wide or blocking them, so we have to say we defended well, but I don’t want to take away from Hibs because I thought they played well today.