Waspie

Not a fan favourite at Falkirk I know but the thread reminded me of this tussle:

Injured, was going for surgery according to a report in the Alloa Advertiser a few weeks back. He did very well after Rice came in last season and certainly earned his new deal. Another surprise tonight I think with the arrival of a CB. Just like we were well covered for big strikers who can hold the ball up and bring others into play, we appeared to have more depth at CB than any other area of the squad. Can only assume this is because of the aforementioned injury to Howie and expectation that Durnan won't be available every week for a spell. Anyway, welcome to David and all the best. Going by this week's pattern the next signing will be another keeper.

That was my initial reaction too, really felt we needed pace up front. Donnelly feels very similar to Sammon and MacIver in being a big guy with good feet who can bring others into the game but probably not a prolific scorer. However, he's been playing at a decent level for a few seasons now and can hopefully bring something a bit different and add to our options in attack. Welcome Luke and all the best.

Important win there. I was loathe to say must win so early in the season but given our rather slow start and Peterhead's problems we really needed the 3 points. We got them and in good style too. I'm not entirely sure about Rodden as a regular starter at this stage but if he keeps contributing and scoring then he deserves to stay in. Also great to see key men in positions where they can best influence the game. Would like to think we'll continue with that and aim for a bit more consistency with shape and team selection. We weren't a terrible team last week and not a brilliant team on the back of beating a side with plenty of issues right now, but hopefully it will be a confidence booster and something to build on. With Scougall and a couple of others to come back and hopefully a signing or two imminent there is plenty hope for the months ahead.

Big game here that both sides will see as a real chance to get a win and try to kick-start their season. I think the only really disappointing Alloa display so far was Edinburgh and I'd agree with the general consensus that it's way too early to be panicking. However, certainly would be a little worrying if we're sitting tomorrow night with 4 defeats from 5 games and some potentially tough games to come before the end of the first quarter. We could really do with getting the 3 points. I'm not too bothered if we go with a back 4 or the 3 centre defenders, I'd just like the manager to settle on a shape and give it a few weeks. I enjoyed the podcast again and thought they made a good case for Cammy to come in too. If that happens I'd drop King who still isn't contributing anywhere near enough. And tempting as it is to start Rodden given the lack of threat, do feel that at this stage he is better suited as impact sub. A bit like Martin Cameron when he first came to Alloa, a real threat off the bench in the second half but pretty raw to be starting.

Still early days to be getting too worried. Yesterday maybe wasn't great but the only really disappointing result so far was Edinburgh. I posted a month ago that the nucleus of retained players was solid but that the signings, while they might work out with time, didn't look likely to have us pushing at the right end of the table and that we'd need more good reinforcements. That hasn't happened yet but going by the manager's post match comments he is still working on it and hopeful of new faces soon. Still feel that if we get something like our best eleven in a formation that suits them though we should be very competitive, even without new players. It's been a feature of Rice since his arrival to make frequent formation and personnel switches week to week and even through games. Too often IMO. I don't think half-time subs almost every week is a good thing. I'd like to see him settle on a shape that suits the talents of the players and stick with it for a while. Again though, the squad and budget isn't at the same level as recent years and we need to recognise that and give it time. I'd still be hopeful that as they settle and we get another player or two in that we can establish ourselves mid-table. If we aren't seeing progress as the season goes on then fair enough, but as it stands way too early to be panicking.

Our terrible record at Airdrie over the past decade is a little surprising when we had some really good teams in that era, although that also meant we were in a higher league for 6 seasons. Always seemed to struggle even when we were in the same league though. Thinking back to the play-off semi that we eventually won, our performance at Airdrie was absolutely horrific. Hopefully get a decent response from Alloa tomorrow. Although we clearly needed a couple of good reinforcements, we looked to be generally moving in the right direction until last Saturday. Didn't see that kind of performance coming. Scougall will be missed if he is injured. Very important that Taggart is on the right and I agreed with the Alloa podcast that Church has earned a recall anyway. I'd give the Miller and Robertson partnership another shot in the middle, still feel that's potentially a good pairing given time. King for Scougall is a shout too and he certainly has the talent for it, but I'd be tempted to put Cawley in there, a player who like King has the game to play the role well, but who you can also be sure will contribute to the team effort.

We've often got our best loans in late August as the top flight teams make their final decisions on their squads and hopefully that will be the case again. A striker is crucial - we aren't going to carry enough threat with the current options in attack - and I'd be disappointed if we didn't add another LB too. Or we could just bring Dougie Hill back again, it's been a while since we last signed him. That said, I'd be sticking with Church on the left in the meantime. Really enjoyed the podcast again but was a little surprised with the suggestion that the complaints over Taggs on the left against Edinburgh were a case of hindsight. I've been banging on about it for months and I saw several fans commenting in the aftermath of the Kelty game of the need to get our best players in their best positions. Taggs should be on the right flank unless it's an emergency and Cawley should be further up the park where he can really influence the game. We are weaker than previous seasons and have to make the most of these players.

Still working through this but really enjoying it and looking forward to hearing more. I don't think he will. He played Taggart left centre back in his first game and although Taggs did his normal steady job he clearly wasn't entirely comfortable and was also missed on the flank. Was then deployed there and LB on a few more occasions before the end of the season. You could make an excuse for that and Kev as emergency RWB when Rice had come in mid-season but we're now 7 competitive games into a new season and it's been obvious enough already that neither player is anywhere near as effective as they can be in these positions. Taggs is class on the right and Kev is needed further up the field (and more central too). Ultimately the reason for it too is that Rice retained Church and didn't sign another LB either. He needs to sort that. Managers have their quirks and Rice has plenty of positives as a boss as well but I'd expect more players out of position (and too many positional and formation changes through games) from him. Very poor result today. I remember doing a feature on Alloa being upset by Edinburgh City at City Park in the 30s then losing to Spartans there decades later in the Scottish Cup, then of course losing to City a few years back over the road from City Park at Ainslie Park. Getting pumped at home by the dodgy new incarnation a new low.

Don't see a thread for this, the first competitive match between the clubs I think (not sure if there were ever any friendlies over the years). Strongest link is a certain former manager of both sides who did considerably better in Fife than in Clackmannanshire. Suspect Mark Durnan will be out for us after going off injured at East End Park. Is Andy Graham's suspension up? Hopefully he is available to slot back in and John Robertson is also over the illness that kept him out last week. Seemed that Alloa and Kelty were both a little unfortunate to lose on the opening day and the sides will be determined to get things kick-started tomorrow. 'Mon the Wasps.

They could have just kept this bit and it would have made for a much better view...

I remember the midweek game which felt like a real turning point, recall Chris Townsley and John Gemmell having a real go at each other coming off at the end. Stevenson scored a great curling effort in the second game and think it was Graeme Brown who missed the pen. The momentum from that run took us right through the play-offs to complete an unlikely escape. The Sons had a decent team on paper too, should have had enough to avoid being dragged into the relegation battle.

I think we were maybe as much as 14 points adrift at one point and Forfar were actually the nearest team to us rather than Sons when Maitland came in. He made us hard to beat and Jamie Stevenson in the form of his life provided several great goals. Think he scored two winners against Dumbarton in 1-0 wins. This was all helped by Paul Martin having a meltdown and describing his Dumbarton players as "a bunch of f*cking losers".

I would only have retained Church as backup to a new LB and would really have preferred Williamson for that role, and I'm still hoping we'll see another LB come in (that and a striker should be the priority). Agree though that the fans should get behind Church regardless. He is pretty quick and strong and capable of direct running down the flank (see his assist for Sammon's first goal at Buckie) and has put decent deliveries into the box at times. The raw attributes are certainly there and confidence would seem to be key. Certainly won't do any use for fans to get on his back anyway.

Didn't see the game today but that was my impression from pre-season and League Cup. Sammon and MacIver both effective in their own way but neither will be prolific scorers, and Rodden can also hopefully bring something different but not realistic to expect him to come up a few levels and score loads. Need to try and find a good striker on loan as Goodwin did a couple of times in the Championship.

He did very well for us last season despite dodgy reviews from fans of some of his former clubs. Centre back is one area where we are well covered but think 3 of the 4 are unavailable today.

Indeed, we are also short on numbers and experience. Andy Graham suspended today and with Durnan and Howie injured that leaves us light in defence as well.

Part-time is a broad umbrella and doesn't necessarily equate to evenly matched. We competed well with the two full-time sides in the group too, as did plenty of part-time teams in other groups. Early days, but I'd be rather concerned about losing 7-0 to a County side who are very much a work in progress and who hadn't impressed in the other games they played.

We are still a bit light but I don't think we are equally matched with East Fife. Alloa East Fife was a dreadful game of football and by some distance the worst performance of our League Cup campaign. We did much better in the next three games and outplayed Ross County for a fair chunk of our only defeat. I really wouldn't base too much on the game against us, it was more like a friendly, and a shite one at that. Your squad doesn't like great but if you can keep Trouts fit enough and get him behind the strikers then that alone will give you a good shot at staying out of trouble, he showed again in his fleeting appearances last season that he is still an absolutely class act when he is fit to play.

Both from the Isle of Lewis. Wright scored for County against Rangers last season.

It was Durnan who went off injured in the Stirling friendly and hasn't played since. Believe Howie also injured. I didn't hear it but apparently Brian Rice was on Radio Scotland today and said something along the lines of the squad not being quite where he'd like at this stage, so hopefully still working on potential additions. All in all though I'd agree it was a fairly positive League Cup campaign which got better after a very poor performance in the opening game. Still feel a striker and LB the main priorities in terms of adding to the squad.

Yeah I'd agree with this. Alloa pumped Bala Town away a few seasons back so we're in credit and deserve another shot at it.

County obviously bedding in a lot of new players and I'm sure as they settle there will indeed be a few more gears available, after after all it's very early days. If you are suggesting though the plan last night was to be second best to a League One team for long spells and only secure the win in the 94th minute, I'd suggest that rather than me being harsh on County that you are being very charitable.

That was a good performance tonight, after first 25 mins or so Alloa were the better side with plenty of good performances throughout the team. Defence strong with Stanger playing very well. Again liked Miller and thought King put in a shift which was encouraging. With Cammy also looking like he is capable of kicking on and Robbo to come back there are reasons to be hopeful about the midfield. Strikers worked hard but we clearly need to find another forward with pace and a goal threat to add some cutting edge. That and another LB should be the priorities at this stage. Encouraging night though. Should add, bit gutted if that was indeed the last stream tonight. For fans who aren't local it's been brilliant to see the games online the last couple of years. Well done and thanks to all involved. Hopefully it will be back one day.

Decent showing from Alloa, after the first 25 minutes we were the better side. Clearly need to find another striker as we lack cutting edge. Another option at LB would be good too. But plenty positives there with a few players still missing too. County will be happy with the win but not a very impressive performance.