Reaction

Alloa Athletic will be disappointed not the have collected all three points at Recreation Park on Saturday, playing against Brechin City the league leaders who were without Rory McAllister & Charlie King. Brechin started strongly and Kevin Byers put them ahead with a strike from  yards after only 22 minutes, but Alloa showed a positive reaction to going behind and played some excellent football. Michael Dunlop equalised after 36 minutes scoring his 1st goal for “The Wasps” and the team went off at half-time on the acendancy. Ten minutes into the second half, experienced Brechin keeper Craig Nelson allowed Bryan Prunty’s shot to slip past him for to put Alloa in front. However Alloa need to be able to see out games and still were playing good football but with no end product which a third goal would have sealed the points. Brechin City’s young substitute Anthony Bolger then equalised with a strike from 2 yards which sailed over keeper Stephen Robertson. this was a game I’m sure the three points were there for the taking but Alloa although playing some good football will need to learn to be more clinical in finishing games off.

james ward on brechin draw

We always knew today’s game would be difficult against league leaders Brechin City, despite Rory McAllister and Charlie King both being unavailable, indeed they started the game really well and we had a problem with Kevin Byers playing off the front area, our midfield were pushing beyond that area but he scored the opening goal when he picked the ball up and smashed a great shot into the net from about 30 yards out , we then changed our system and for the last 25 minutes of the first half controlled the game, we got the goal back and we felt we were very much in the ascendancy, At half-time we were thinking we can go on and win this game and we managed to get the second goal ten minutes into the second period and at that time I didn’t think we were under any threat at all from what Brechin were offering, we thought we would hold out if not go on and get the third goal. The second goal we gave them was pretty cheap, there was not enough pressure on the ball and the young boy has had a pot shot from about 20 yards out and it’s went over Stevie Robertson. I think it was a decent game of football with both sides trying to get the ball down and play as best as we can and I think if you look at the game overall I think a point might be fair on reflection, its not the worse day for us but it will become a better day for us if we go and beat the teams who are below us over the next few weeks and get three points at home against the teams who are below us in the league, that has to be our focus but it is still early in the season and we are still very much in contention and that is what we will be working towards , we have a really good group of boys. It was suggested that the players were caught out by the glare of the sun for the first goal but in fairness to Kevin, he took a touch and hit it that well that sometimes we need to give people credit for how well he took the goal, on a better day we might have been set up to better deal with him not getting the ball in the first place. We are feeling a little sore just now because I thought we had got ourselves in to a position where we could have went on and secured the three points. That’s life sometimes you don’t get what you deserve.