Reaction

Football can be a very unforgiving sport and in the new SPFL Championship, Alloa Athletic know they will need to take their chances as they strive to consolate their position this season in a higher division. This was a very open, hard fought game which turned in the home sides favour after Alloa striker Andy Kirk, missed a great opportunity with 16 minutes of the game remaining which would have put “The Wasps” back in front at a stage in the game when they were looking the more likely side to go on and win the points. There will be no easy games in this league and Raith Rovers will have known they were in a game, but the players once again could not be faulted for effort and will need to pick themselves up for the visit next Saturday of league leaders Hamilton Accies to Recreation Park.

paul hartley at starks park

Andy Kirk’s chance is a big moment in the game and it looks easier to score but there is nothing you can say about it. The lad was distraught about it in the dressing room after the game – he knows he should score – but that’s the way it goes sometimes. You go through your career and that is what life is like for a striker. You miss chances your a villain but if you score you’re a hero. Andy has been in the game long enough to know that but he is still very disappointed and I am not going to criticise him. I think the game turned on that moment a wee bit and gives Raith a lift. We done well to get back into things at various points throughout the match. I thought it was a really good game of football. We came here, tried to have a go and were positive. We score a really good first goal and they come back into it and get their goal when we fail to stop the cross. I am disappointed with that because we had worked on it all week to deal with Cardle when he comes inside to keep him in his left foot but he got inside and puts in a good ball which evades everyone and goes straight in. We then started the second half sloppy and then we fought back again and get our rewards with the penalty. We were on the ascendency when they got their goal and then they hit us on the break when we are trying to chase the game. It comes down to stopping crosses again so we have to go away now and analyse the goals that we conceded and see what we can do better. With their fourth goal, we got caught out trying to go for it – yes we must do better –  but I have no regrets because we’ve got to have a go and that’s the way that we play. Every one game is a tough one in this division and obviously Hamilton next up will be no different. We have to just keep at it, we have a squad of players and that’s what we have to work with and I cannot fault them for their effort or attitude. We maybe just have to be a little bit more street wise at times. Calum Elliot is a good player and we knew he would be a handful in the game having had him in our squad last year. We know his qualities – he holds the ball up well and brings other players into the game – he scores a terrific goal from his point of view but for us it is poor defensively. On the other hand there is loads of positives to take into the next game. We have come to a tough venue, scored two goals and we try and play the right way. We have created loads of chances so we will try to keep that going next week.