Reaction

Alloa Athletic scored four goals today against Ayr United in a game in the end they must be wondering why they didn’t score more? The result is a great bounce back after a dismal display a fortnight ago at Glebe Park against Brechin City when “The Wasps” lost 3-1. Today Allan Maitland had his team fired up from the start and they came out flying, Jim Lister scored after 16 minutes and Bryan Prunty then had a goal chopped off for offside, however Ayr came back into the game and Chris Smith equalised in their best spell in the game. Just before half-time ex Ayr striker Bryan Prunty scored an important goal to put the home side 2-1 ahead at the interval. Eight minutes into the second half Darren Smith was upended in the box for a stonewall penalty which Kevin McDonald scored past Alan Main in the Ayr goal. Nine minutes later the linesman spotted a hand ball in the box and Alloa increased their lead when Kevin McDonald repeated by scoring again from the penalty spot. With still 25 minutes left Alloa Athletic should have increased the scoreline but some great saves by Alan Main and goal line scrambles and balls cleared off the line, allowed Ayr to leave Recreation Park only conceding four goals when it could have been much worse.

allan maitland after ayr united game

First of all I think it’s a magnificent result for us, having seen the team play at Brechin two weeks ago where everything was wrong with the team in the first half at Brechin we have worked really hard this week, a great game against Sauchie in midweek to get a bit of enjoyment back into the football, it has been a great day and I think that was reflected today. I thought we were superb, the first 20 minutes I thought was magnificent and then to be fair to Ayr United they then had a 20 minute spell which they deservedly scored and we gave too much space in the centre of the park to both Trouten and McLaughlin, but we sorted that and were fortunate enough to score right at half time which helps. In the second half we were miles better and the strange thing for me is that it was only 4-1 and of course two of the goals in the second half were penalties, we should have scored more because we had so many chances in the second half and Alan Main must have had about three or four saves great saves and there was two cleared off the line, so it has been a great day for us we worked hard to make sure whatever went wrong two weeks ago didn’t happen again today,  it was important to get back on track as quick as possible and I think we have done that in emphatic style – it is important to win but it’s nice to win and play well – it was great also to have Jamie Hay and Declan McAvoy getting on the park – on Tuesday night they were excellent against Sauchie and I want to encourage the young lads and they also played really hard today. It is a team game, everybody was excellent, David Gormley thoroughly deserved his man of the match, magnificent. I think it helped today that some of our players had a point to prove against Ayr United in respect they had been rejected by Ayr United one way or another –Bryan Prunty was put on loan and David Gormley was put on loan – they certainly didn’t want to lose and that was evident in how they played but they are part of a team. Our starting of games have been a problem for us – Livingston poor, Brechin poor but we played quite well in the first half against  East Fife. It’s important in the league if you want to challenge that you win your home games – we have played two now and won two, we have had a really difficult start to the season – seven games only two at home, one of which was against Aberdeen – we have been to Brechin and Livingston already it’s been a really tough start – we are pleased with our home game today – we have another home game next week and if we can keep winning our home games we will be fine. I thought we were magnificent.