Reaction

“The Wasps” completed a great double over league leaders Hamilton Accies by defeating them 1-0 home and away this season, this was “The Wasps” first win in the league at New Douglas Park since a 4-3 victory in October, 2003. Manager Paul Hartley made changes to his side for the teams third game within a week. Hamilton Accies playing at home had most possesion but the Alloa defence looked resolute and when the opportunity arose the visitors caused problems going close on the break. The winning goal was straight from the training ground, Michael Doyle did great to win a corner in the opening minute of the second half and Ryan McCord found Daryll Meggatt at space at the back post to head home his first goal for the club. Alloa indeed had chances to increase their lead when Willie Robertson and Eddie Ferns went close.

paul hartley after victory over leaders

Today’s game was a totally different game, in the way that I set out my team, we changed our system and it was sort of sprung on my players, but in terms of what my players gave me – they were outstanding, we came here to frustrate Hamilton Accies and might have even scored a couple of more goals on the counter attack. It was our third hard game in a week and my players are not used to that, so we changed the personnel and I thought they were absolutely outstanding. Scott Bain made a couple of outstanding saves but we have come to expect that of Scott, he is the outstanding young goalkeeper in Scotland and I keep saying that, I don’t think he will be with us too long but we want to enjoy his benefit when he is still with us, it just shows you his levels of concentration when he has to make a vital save. I thought the full team were great, the players who came in Darren Young and Willie Robertson but in Kevin Cawley he was brilliant all over the park, in terms of the way he has taken his game to a new level – we are doing ok. It was a tough shift for him, alone up front until we could get players forward to support him, and even in the second half when he came deeper, he has a great work ethic about him, he never complains or moans, we give him a job and he goes and does it, but all my players have a great work ethic about themselves and we showed good quality also in scoring the goal. We are doing ok, we keep saying that we are trying to accumulate as many points as we can, just now we are in a tough run of fixtures with Morton, Dundee and Falkirk in our next three games. The players deserve the credit, when we put a team out, we pick a team which we think will win the game and they did that today.

It was a very good goal with Michael Doyle brilliant in the build-up play around the goal, great unselfish running which was required today because we knew Hamilton would have most possession of the ball. We had worked at the corner in training, it was another different set piece because I knew Hamilton Accies had been watching and videoed some of our set pieces, it was a free header at the back post, so pleased for Daryll he deserved it. It was a great result for our fans, they pay good money and travel all over the county to watch their favourites albeit a small band, we know we do not have the biggest support in the world but we have given them something to cheer about but the players deserve all the credit.