NO-ONE was taken in at Allan Maitland's after match press conference when the Alloa manager insisted there was little point is his team turning up for the play-off matches against Clyde.
Maitland knew a victory would secure the final play-off place regardless of what happened elsewhere and his side achieved this, although in a nervous 2-1 win against relegated Berwick. "Clyde are full-time, we are part-time so we have little chance,
" said Maitland. "Just getting a play off place is success for us but going any further is beyond us."
Maitland's team got the early goal he had been requesting when Scott Agnew's left-footed cross became a shot and sailed high into Peter Logan's top right-hand corner. Berwick drew level as Ian Thomson touched in from a couple of yards out after Raymond Jellema could only push a David Greenhill shot into his path. But Alloa led again when substitutes Andy Scott and Andrew Ferguson combined with their first touches to see a header from Ferguson elude Logan.
Peterhead manager Neale Cooper had mixed emotions after his sides 5-2 triumph at Raith Rovers – disappointment at not pipping Alloa for the play off spot but pride at how his team had ended the season.
Cooper said: "We are a young team and results like today give us a great platform to build on."
Brechin's outside hopes of grabbing the final play-off spot were ended by two late goals from champions Ross County in a thrilling 3-3 draw, Marco Andreoni struck the winner for a Airdrie in their 2-1 win at Ayr while Cowdenbeath's Denis McLaughlin got the only goal of the game against Queen's Park.
The full article contains 294 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
