Arbroath 0 – 1 Alloa Athletic – Match Summary
Ladbrokes Championship – Game 07 – Season 2020 / 2021
Saturday 12th December 2020, Gayfield Park, Arbroath, 3.00pm kick off
Match Sponsor – Moir Construction Ltd
Arbroath are still in search of their first win of the season after an uncharacteristic mistake by Derek Gaston helped Alloa claim all 3 points on Saturday at Gayfield.
Despite all the heavy rain the Gayfield pitch looked immaculate and there was a first start of the season for Mark Whatley as Miko Virtanen missed out due to injury but Connor Smith and Scott Gallacher marked their return to the squad.
It was a 4-5-1 formation for the Lichties with Gaston in goal, then Thomson, Little, O’Brien and Hamilton with Linn, Craigen, Whatley, Gold and Hilson with Doolan up front.
Arbroath kicked off shooting towards the Pleasureland End with very little wind and a surprisingly mild afternoon at Gayfield.
The Lichties made a bright start but it was soon evident that Alloa were going to make it difficult for Arbroath as they retreated in numbers every time Arbroath had the ball.
James Craigen had an early opportunity after Bobby Linn sprinted down the left wing but Craigen’s shot from 20 yards was blocked before it reached Neil Parry in the Alloa goal.
Dale Hilson created Arbroath’s first chance after being played down the right wing by Jason Thomson before cutting back inside and firing a low shot at goal but Parry was able to make the save at his inside post.
The Alloa players tried to claim for a penalty kick in the 15th minute as both Thomas O’Brien and Stefan Scougall went for the ball inside the Arbroath box with Scougall going down in a heap but Referee Peter Stuart was in the perfect position and waved play on.
With the Alloa players caught up in the penalty protest Arbroath broke on the counter and Bobby Linn found Kris Doolan in the Alloa box with a clever ball but Nicky Jamieson did well to clear the danger.
Neither team could really find a way towards goal in a first half where Arbroath enjoyed more possession but any high ball was cleared by Liam Dick or Andy Graham in the Alloa defence.
In the 42nd minute Alan Trouten who has so often been the nemesis of Arbroath flashed a header wide as he connected with a Scott Taggart cross. It was the end of the game for Taggart who seemed to injure himself in the build up and he was replaced by Innes Murray just seconds before the half time whistle was blown.
Half Time – Arbroath 0 – 0 Alloa Athletic
Arbroath continued to press into the second half and seemed to be looking to use the pace of Bobby Linn more as they won a series of corner kicks early in the second half.
It was a Bobby Linn corner kick in the 56th minute that Colin Hamilton connected with and his looping header looked like it was goal bound but a jumping header from Innes Murray on the goal line denied Hamilton.
Hamilton was involved just 3 minutes later as his quick throw in found Hilson down the wing near the byline. Hilson turned and found Linn 25 yards from goal who hit the ball first time but his curling shot was just wide of Parry’s post.
The game opened up and just a minute later at the other end Ricky Little blocked a Kevin Cawley shot towards goal.
Dick Campbell took off Bobby Linn the in the 63rd minute and introduced Michael Ruth then also brought on Michael McKenna just 2 minutes later for David Gold as he tried to freshen things up in the middle of the park.
Michael McKenna did well to win the ball from Alloa substitute Adam Brown out on the wing before running at goal but his 20 yard right footed strike was always rising and sailed over the Alloa goal.
Arbroath were dealt a major blow in the 70th minute when Mark Whatley who had been impressing on his comeback was forced off with an injury. The substation forced Dick Campbell into his last change and Connor Smith was brought on as a direct replacement.
Having been the hero for Arbroath so many times this season, including producing two world class saves last weekend against Dundee, Derek Gaston was uncharacteristically caught out in the 79th minute.
Stefan Scougall was allowed to turn and shoot on the edge of the Arbroath 18 yard box and his shot slid under the body of Gaston and over the line. It was really the first shot Alloa had on target and unfortunately for Gaston it would prove a costly error of judgement.
Arbroath tried to get back into it, and without being able to bring on another striker Arbroath again were unable to really test Neil Parry.
Connor Smith had a header at goal in the 85th minute from a Thomson cross but it was too far away to really threaten Parry.
Scoguall was keen to add his second goal but his shot in the 86th minute was right at Gaston.
Arbroath had their own shout for a penalty kick with in the 89th minute a fierce shot by Colin Hamilton seemed to bounce off the hand of Jon Robertson in the Alloa box
It was into injury time and Scougall did well to escape the Arbroath defence and wriggled to the byline before firing a shot directly at Gaston.
A free kick in the 94th minute allowed Arbroath to throw everyone into the Alloa box but Michael McKenna’s ball was hard to attack in such a crowded space and Ricky Little’s flicked header went out for a goal kick but before the Parry could even collect the ball the Referee blew for full time.
Full Time – Arbroath 0 – 1 Alloa Athletic
It does seem Arbroath are really just missing that little touch of luck this season, and you do feel like it will come eventually, but with results elsewhere going against the Lichties they now find themselves at the bottom of the Championship with just 20 games left.
C’mon the Lichties
Match Stats
Possession – Arbroath 56% – 44% Alloa Athletic
Total Shots – Arbroath 7 – 9 Alloa Athletic
On Target – Arbroath 3 – 3 Alloa Athletic
Off Target – Arbroath 3 – 3 Alloa Athletic
Blocked – Arbroath 1 – 3 Alloa Athletic
Corners – Arbroath 4 – 1 Alloa Athletic
Fouls Committed – Arbroath 19 – 5 Alloa Athletic
Arbroath
1 – Derek Gaston
2 – Jason Thomson
3 – Colin Hamilton
4 – Ricky Little
5 – Thomas O’Brien ©
6 – Mark Whatley (Smith 70)
7 – David Gold (McKenna 65)
9 – Dale Hilson
11 – Bobby Linn (Ruth 63)
14 – Kris Doolan
28 – James Craigen
Substitutes
8 – Michael McKenna – 7; 65th
10 – Gavin Swankie
12 – Scott Stewart
15 – Luke Donnelly
16 – Michael Ruth – 11; 63rd
17 – Connor Smith – 6; 70th
21 – Scott Gallacher (GK)
Yellow Cards – Craigen 90+2
Alloa Athletic
1 – Neil Parry
2 – Scott Taggart (Murray 44)
15 – Nicky Jamieson
5 – Andy Graham ©
3 – Liam Dick
7 – Kevin Cawley (Brown 71)
8 – Jon Robertson
6 – Steven Hetherington
12 – Stefan Scougall
10 – Alan Trouten
9 – Liam Buchanan (R. Thomson 75)
Substitutes
14 – Adam Brown – 7; 71st
17 – Lee Connelly
18 – Blair Malcolm
19 – Robert Thomson – 9; 75th
23 – Innes Murray – 2; 44th
25 – Edin Lynch
31 – Reece Willison (GK)
Goal – Scougall 79
Officials;
Referee – Peter Stuart
Assistant Referee 1- Graeme Stewart
Assistant Referee 2 – Scott Anderson
