Waspie

Our defence is now made up of a centre forward, centre back, left midfielder, right winger.

The second one wasn't unlucky, it was a daft foul. The first one was a bit harsh I thought. Ultimately we haven't had a great season anyway. Take away more than half the team and chuck in a red card and we have nothing left. We'd have had no chance against Airdrie had we managed to hold on.

We've just run out of players here. Came into it missing half a team then Taggart off injured early and Stanger sent off. Have two attacking midfielders at full back now. Rice has to settle them at half time or this could be a massacre.

Good luck tomorrow

Manager confirmed King won't play which isn't surprising. Robbo finished for the season, think the podcast boys confirmed that too. Would be surprised if Strachan was ok given the way he hobbled off on Tuesday. Saw a rumour on twitter that Durnan is on holiday which seems strange! Would help if he was available. Don't know about Scougall and Church but obviously a huge bonus if either or both were to make it. If none of these players are available we're obviously really struggling and not far off just having a starting line up of established players. All we can ask is that we repeat Tuesday in getting the best out of whoever is available and see where it takes us.

That was an excellent effort from Alloa in the circumstances. Obviously missing a number of players then lost another couple through the game but a very spirited display and merited the win. Think the effort off the bar just after our goal was Hamilton's only real clear chance. We might even have added another in the second half. Real team effort but have to say Devine was one selection I wondered about tonight and he ended up playing very well indeed. Cawley and Taggart also brought a lot of composure and while we probably had to bring on Donnelly much earlier than planned, he put in a shift and caused a lot of bother. Could go through them all though, everyone really stood up on a tough night and players and management deserve every credit. Still a big ask for Saturday and would be a massive help if we could get a player or two back. However poor Accies were tonight I'd probably still make them favourites overall but great to be going down there very much in the tie. Hope Adam King is ok, very worrying initially to see him go down like that.

Sounds familiar. To be fair to Brian Rice though he's had bad luck with injuries here and that certainly isn't the team he would have picked had a few key men been fit. Hopefully they can do enough tonight to keep us in the tie for the second leg.

We've seen a lot of that from Brian Rice . His recruitment has been pretty good too, just undermined IMO by never finding a settled team or shape with players in their best positions. I might be cursing him for these ties but Stanger has done really well for Alloa and he would be well worth a shot for someone in the Championship next season, which seems likely to happen according to the rumours. He has been CB all season but has had several defensive partners as part of a central two or three. Still a work in progress but a good defender who can still get better. I have pretty low expectations for the play-offs after an up and down season and with a number of injuries hitting the squad. I'd be happy enough if we were still in it going into the second leg.

I know there is a generic play-off thread in the Championship forum but the game is worth a separate discussion. Although Alloa have been in the play-offs fairly regularly this time feels different in that we go in without any real expectations. We've had really good sides who I always felt had a great chance of winning. This team has done well to get to fourth but it isn't at the same level as those other Alloa sides. That isn't to say there aren't good players in the squad - there are - but after 36 games I'm not sure we know our best team or shape, we don't have established partnerships in key areas and don't know how to best utilise our best player. We actually go into the play-offs on the back of four home defeats in a row. The flip side is that it is absolutely a free hit for Alloa. There is definite pressure on Hamilton to stay up and Falkirk to get up, while Airdrie will probably feel an element of pressure after narrowly missing out last year. And there is undoubtedly an Alloa team there good enough to beat any of the other sides, if enough of them are fit (significant questions over this, it would appear) and if we were able to bring it all together. Hopefully we can have a proper go tomorrow night anyway and see where it leaves us for Saturday.

Will be interesting to see our team for the play-offs. Taggart, Church, Strachan, Robertson and Scougall not involved at all today. If fit they would almost all be expected to start. Similarly Stanger, Donnelly and Sammon were subs today but would also likely start on a normal day. I don't know how many of that lot were rested and how many won't be available and it's also impossible to second guess Brian Rice anyway, but I think it is safe to say the team from today won't lineup in the play-offs. Absolute free hit for us and while I don't expect us to go up, if we were to play to potential then we're capable of beating any of the other three sides. Congratulations to the Pars on the title, clearly very deserving champions.

Funny that . Hopefully it's not Hamilton in the play-offs because without Doyle it's not inconceivable that Kev might end up back at RB/RWB. Great to get a play-off place secured and in such emphatic fashion too and congratulations to the players and management. Been a bit tortuous at times but a top achievement regardless. Feels to me that it's pretty much a free shot at the play-offs this time, probably for the first time since the Maitland team that finished 4th. We've obviously had a number of promotion play-off campaigns since but there has tended to be a fair bit of expectation after strong seasons and feeling we were real contenders. Like that Maitland team, the current side have probably achieved their season target in getting into the play-offs at all and anything else is a bonus. That might help us. I can see the argument about fielding a strong team for Dunfermline and trying to build momentum (and going into play-offs on the back of four home defeats in a row wouldn't be ideal either), but similarly I wouldn't be risking anyone with any kind of knock either.

Good listen as always. But the answer to the question did Queen's Park only make the play-offs last season because everyone else was crap....is undoubtedly yes! Alloa were worse than crap for a lot of the season and yet they didn't beat us once and we weren't far off catching them in the end. Indeed, but for a fantastic goal from distance in the last game against them we'd have been within 3 points. They didn't have a manager for a big chunk of the season and their fans frequently pointed out they were a rudderless ship and underachieving badly. The fact that Owen Coyle ultimately got a tune out of them in the play-offs then drastically improved them as a team in the Championship doesn't mean they weren't extremely average for most of last season. The QP of this season just doesn't bear comparison to the team of the vast majority of 2021/22. On the wider point, I'll always give Alloa every credit where it's due and the current team does deserve praise for being in the mix (and finishing 4th in any circumstances is a good result), but that cannot mean we can't call out issues with the team and the way it is set up. I only ever ask that the Alloa boss makes the most of what they have, or something close, and if we do that and get relegated then fair enough. If it is perceived they don't make the most of the resources available then it shouldn't be a big deal for that to be debated. Hopefully the team can manage at least a point tomorrow, really don't want to be going into the last game needing something. I wouldn't be hopeful about the play offs regardless but potentially a big blow for the squad moving forwards if we were to miss out on 4th after being in such a good position.

I'm sure we would be a more attractive proposition although not convinced that would change some fundamental underlying issues. The reserve team surely can't do much worse than your first team has managed against Edinburgh! We got lucky again today with the other results. If we can't manage 1 point from the last 2 games - a scenario that would mean we'd clinch a play-off spot with 1 win and 1 draw from our last 6 games - then we certainly don't deserve the opportunity.

Don't think it's quite as simple as that. For one, the pyramid hasn't settled yet and there are sides in Darvel's league who are significantly better than some in the level above. Lot of blurred lines between tiers. Peterhead themselves acknowledged this season they were losing out on players to teams outside the SFL. Clyde also would be greatly improved by players in that Darvel side. Now you could make the case that Clyde and Peterhead have been particularly bad League One teams and that in normal circumstances Darvel wouldn't be up to League One. As it stands however, Darvel have better players than them and over a season I'd expect them to finish above them, even though they didn't win their league. Indeed, if Alloa played a series of games against them I think we'd probably lose some of them. All that doesn't cut Darvel any slack for not winning their league - which looks like a serious failure.

Simple enough, they have better players than those clubs. Significant number of that Darvel squad are playing well below where they could be. There are a number who would improve the Alloa side currently sitting 4th in League One. Always loathe to use cup games as a barometer but in the case of Darvel we're talking about players who are used to playing at a decent level rather those who are clearly raising their game well above normal levels in cup ties. They beat Montrose 5-2 away, beat Aberdeen and did so without being backs to the wall. While they got thumped by Falkirk, the final score didn't really reflect the game with late goals when Darvel had about 5 forwards on the park. I'm not a Darvel fan and clearly the model isn't sustainable (and as I said, there should be real questions over their failure to win promotion), but they would have had enough for 8th in League One this season.

I don't think you can really class games which we only put to bed relatively late on as easy wins. However abject Clyde were they almost went 2-1 up early in the second half and Peterhead were the better side in the first half in that game. The Edinburgh win was sealed by a late (freak) goal. We could just as easily have lost last week too. These are all really welcome and hard earned victories but none of them were easy wins. We have been absolutely spoiled by the teams we've had over the last decade or so. I wouldn't put the current side near those teams. More frustrating is that the team is still less than the sum of its parts. Unlike those other Alloa sides, I'd really fear for the current crop if they did manage to get up through the play offs. But not going to complain if we manage it. 'Mon the Wasps.

Lot of questions about how they didn't manage to get out of the West of Scotland League two years in a row with that squad and budget. But I'd still have expected them to have been above Peterhead and Clyde had they been in League One this season. Great show last night and it will be missed the next few weeks when this series is over. Point of pedantry to Paul Goodwin though (think it was him), Kippen is not in the heart of the Trossachs. It's not in the Trossachs at all.

That isn't great but depends how you spin it. Could also say you've also only lost 1 in 6. Mixed is about right I'd say. Ultimately we aren't fantastic anyway and unlikely to have easy games against anyone in this league.

I'd have similar thoughts regarding injuries. Certainly wouldn't play Taggs and given the way he was strapped up and hobbling after last week I'd be surprised if he was available today. Have to wonder about Church and Strachan too, although it would be a blow if neither was to be fit. We didn't play well last week but kept going and ultimately ground out a great win. I don't really like the back 3 shape we started with at Kelty but suppose formation today depends a fair bit on who is fit. We have actually done well against Falkirk of late even though we only ended up with 1 draw and 2 defeats. Despite their mixed form we'll need to be better than last week if we are going to get something. And we could really do with a point because while we're in a decent position and with fans of other sides saying it's over, it wouldn't really take much for things to get close again in the battle for 4th.

I didn't get that impression from Kelty last week. Certainly lacked a cutting edge but worked hard and good shape. Conceded in 93rd minute or otherwise would have been four clean sheets in a row? Didn't look like a team on holiday anyway!

Saturday was my first trip to Kelty and I was impressed. Clearly a lot of money has gone into the facilities as well as the playing side - something that doesn't always happen when benefactors are involved - and that gives the club a chance to now build a sustainable model. The community seem to be onside too which is crucial and certainly we got a warm welcome yesterday. Hopefully Kelty can go on and establish themselves as a self sustaining SFL club in the years ahead.

Alloa probably deserved the win although Kelty might well feel they were worth the draw they almost got. It was a pretty hard watch and we looked disjointed, again felt the midfield lacked a real shape with that formation and we never flowed or got Scougall properly involved. Hard to understand too why we're still trying MacIver and Sammon as a pair at this stage of the season and once more it didn't work and made it too easy to punt balls towards them. Like Kevchenko I also felt the introduction of Rankin ahead of Cawley and Coulston was strange. Not his fault but we actually became more disjointed after he came on. This Alloa team could be much better given the players we have and it's probably a reflection on the league this season that we're now very much on course for fourth. Hard to be overly positive about how we would do in the play-offs and even more so the Championship if we were somehow to get there. But that's for another day. We are well placed now and reservations or not, it certainly felt good when Sammo got that goal! Great spirit from the team to keep going on what had been a frustrating afternoon. Have to hope Taggart isn't badly injured but seeing him hobbling and strapped up suggested he will be out in the short term at least. First time at Kelty and enjoyed it, really nice setup.

Big game for Alloa here in the battle for a play-off spot. Losing back to back at home against fellow contenders was certainly a blow and in light of that and the games to come I'd say we probably need to win here. Indeed, losing at home to sides around us then failing to beat a team sitting 8th would suggest we hardly deserve to be in the play-offs anyway. That's not to say Kelty won't be tough - the recent draws against Falkirk and Dunfermline show that - but if Alloa want to be having a shot at promotion they need to step up here. I'd again like to see 4 2 3 1 with Taggart at RB (however hard that might be on Doyle) and with Church or Strachan at LB. But while second guessing Brian Rice is pretty much impossible, I'm pretty sure that won't happen. Regardless of the shape and personnel however, hopefully Alloa can give it a decent shot and not gift any goals. 'Mon the Wasps.

I'd agree with that and I think he could potentially also be very good in a deeper midfield two. Hopefully he will get a proper run, certainly needs to kick on soon if he is going to make it. He is good enough. Anyway, good luck to the Wasps today

I'm not sure he's had a proper chance to kick on. He had a wee run early on which included a brilliant performance in his favoured position in midfield followed by a new contract. He seemed poised to really make a breakthrough but was immediately shunted to LB then out of the team and hasn't played 90 minutes since. Hasn't had a proper chance since the Edinburgh red card. We obviously don't see training etc but on the only occasion he got anything like a run in the team (and it wasn't even an extended run) in midfield he did well.