Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
DISASTER
Livingston and Queen’s Park call-offs leave Rovers bossYoung with a big fixtures headache
Airdrieonians captain Iain Russell feels that the players have let boss Mark Wilson down as they suffered a narrow defeat to Alloa.
The forward said that it was defending from set-pieces that cost his side on the day — despite working on it all week in training with head coach Wilson.
Now they have won just one of their last seven games and slipped to third in League One.
It was an action packed opening to the game, with Jim Goodwin’s Alloa taking the lead after a free-kick was floated into the box by former Diamond Jordan Kilpatrick, with Frank McKeown’s shot well saved by Rohan Ferguson.
However, the young keeper could do nothing about the rebound and Andy Graham slotted the ball home.
A well-worked corner saw Alloa double their lead, with Calum Waters inch-perfect cross headed in by Graham for his and the Wasps’ second.
Airdrie pulled a goal back after 22 minutes, after Scott Stewart knocked on a Kieran McDonald cross and it fell to 34-year-old Russell, who smashed the ball into the net.
Despite playing some good football for the remainder of the game, Airdrie couldn’t breakthrough the amber wall to equalise.
Russell believes that the New Broomfield team had to quickly improve how they defend - starting at the Excelsior Stadium against Stranraer this Saturday.
Russell told the Advertiser:“It was a crazy start to the game.
“We were slack at set-pieces and it cost us.
“That isn’t down to an individual, that’s down to the team as a whole.
“We are letting Mark (Wilson) down. He told us what he wanted from us at the start of the game, and we didn’t do it. We go through how he wants us to defend in training, and we didn’t do it.
“I felt we dominated the game — even in the opening 20 minutes — and had the best chances. After they got their goal Alloa just sat behind the ball and made sure they didn’t give much away.
“On another day could have won the game. .”
Russell admits that it has been hard for him to see the club he supports and lead as captain go on the bad run, but feels that the performance overall could be a turning point as they aim to cement their place in the play-off spots.
“We have been in second and third for so long now that maybe you just start to expect to be in the play-off places, but you look at where Brechin are now and you see how much you need to work for it,”said the veteran striker.
“It’s not the end. There is a lot of fight in this team, and a lot of quality.
“We are on a bad run, and that can happen.
“We just want to get straight back into the next game against Stranraer and show that we are a good team.” Albion Rovers ... P Queen’s Park .... P
Mark Pirie
Albion Rovers boss Darren Young has called the fixture pile- up his side face a “disaster.”
In just the last week Albion Rovers games against League One leaders Livingston and play- off hopefuls Queen’s Park have been called off, meaning the Cliftonhill outfit have played the least number of games in the division.
Heavy rain, snow, and high winds have left Rovers sitting third bottom of the table and player/manager Young admits he has a feeling of déjà vu after similar problems last season.
He told the Advertiser: “It’s just a disaster. We have had no luck with the weather.
“Through in Livingston, the boys were in the changing rooms ready to go and then the snow and the wind meant the game was called off.
“To be fair, the pitch was bad, probably worse than ours.
“Then on the Saturday you have the heavy rain and wind overnight, so it means we can’t get the game on.
“We are starting to see a lot of similarities between the way last season went. It’s diffcult for the boys to get into the routine of playing Tuesday and Saturday every week, it’s a lot to ask of them.
“It makes it so hard to build any kind of momentum, it’s been really stop start for us.
“It’s not so bad if you are a fulltime team, but our boys have to take time off work, or move shifts around to make a game.
“It ends up giving them less recovery time and they have to come straight from their work to a game.
“These kinds of things can make the difference.
“We just have to accept it and do our best. We are confident that the boys are doing all the right things and know we have a good squad.”
Young hopes his players can emulate the success of Saturday’s opponents East Fife, who come into the game against the Coatbridge outfit on the back of an 11-game winning run.
The recent success under former Dundee boss Barry Smith has seen The Fifers climb into fourth spot, having been lingering around the relegation places for the first half of the season.
As they travel to Bayview on Saturday Young hopes they can put up a challenge for promotion during the remainder of the season.
“East Fife are the template for teams in our position,” said Young. ”They have rocketed up the league.
“We want to go on a wee run and start getting together some results, and we are confident that we can do that.
“I have spoken to the boys individually and as a group and we know we have the quality to move away from the bottom three and up the table.
“We have drawn games I thought we could have won, so need that bit of luck.
“It’s just a matter of getting the games on.”
● Albion Rovers have also added Dundee United midfielder Brad Smith to the squad on an emergency loan deal until May 27.
The 19-year-old has made two first- team appearances for the Arabs this season.