Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
STAYING STRONG
Wilson full of praise for his players after play-off agony as he tips them to bounce back next term
Mark Wilson insists Airdrieonians will come back stronger next season after their promotion dream ended in Alloa.
Alloa won the match with a half volley from Jon Robertson outside the box – levelling the tie at 1-1 over the two legs.
After extra- time, former Diamond Neil Parry saved penalties from Kieran MacDonald and captain Iain Russell to send the Wasps through to the final.
Head coach Wilson says he couldn’t have asked for more from his side since he came in last November, and hopes to add some new faces for a promotion bid next term.
The Diamonds boss said: “We will be disappointed for a couple of weeks, and then we’ll start preparing for next season.
“It’s a big club, and I believe we have the players here and the structure to go forward in a positive way.
“It’s about getting that right over the next few weeks.
“It’s hard when you come in midway through a season. It wasn’t my team, and the budget was spent.
“I jumped at the chance because it was a great opportunity for me to come in as a young coach.
“I’ve said before that it would have been easy for the players to switch off because I’m a young guy, but not one of them did that.
“They stuck by me and gave me everything.
“It’d be nice to go into a pre-season now and get the guys prepared – rather than just
getting ready for the next game.
“Then we will see what business we can do in the summer.
“I’m looking forward to the challenge that lies ahead, but I think throughout the season the boys have done incredibly well to keep battling back no matter what the situation. “
Wilson also gave special mention to the fans who travelled to Recreation Park.
“The players gave the fans something to cheer at the end of the season, and we would have loved to have taken them to the final . “The turnout in Alloa, and the appreciation they showed to the players, was fantastic. “The players recognise that. They’re on a high that the fans backed them, they’re just disappointed that they couldn’t take them through.” At kick- off the New Broomfield men knew that a draw would be enough – after Andy Ryan’s deflected header in the first leg gave them a slender lead. Ryan looked to have doubled the aggregate advantage after he knocked the ball in from a yard out from Scott Stewart’s cross – but the flag was raised for offside.
Rohan Ferguson made an outstanding save from Dylan Mackin from point blank range when he stuck his right leg out to keep the second leg goalless.
Jon Robertson’s low volley gave the home side the lead after 51 minutes. His well-hit strike nestled into the bottom corner.
They could have doubled the lead just seconds later and Greig Spence will still be wondering how he didn’t find the net. Simon Mensing’s misplaced back pass was capitalised on and gave the Alloa striker an open goal, however he struck the bar.
After neither team could make the breakthrough in extra-time two outstanding saves from Neil Parry stopped the Diamonds reaching the play-off final.
The players gave the fans something to cheer at the end of the season