Alloa boss Barry Smith is delighted that his side are playing their Petrofac Training Cup quarter-final tie this weekend as he wants to build on the momentum generated by their wins over Cowdenbeath and Hibs in the Championship.
The Wasps head to Morton after seeing off the Blue Brazil 3-0, and the Edinburgh men 2-1, with Smith saying: “Hopefully the result at Central Park is the one that marks when our season got going. The win over Hibs carried things on especially as we came from behind to win. It is great to keep the momentum going by having this game as opposed to being off due to the international break.”
“I wanted us to keep playing although I recognise that we have a tough game ahead at Morton.”
It cannot have happened too often that Alloa meet the Cappielow men as the higher division side however Smith does not reckon that will count for anything come kick off.
Smith explained: “I do not read anything into things like that as whatever league teams are in goes out of the window in a cup tie. We deserve to be in the Championship after battling our way to safety last season but that is history as far as this game is concerned.”
Smith is hoping to disappoint a manager he regards highly by taking the 1999-2000 Challenge Cup winners to the semi-final stage as he explained: “Their manager Jim Duffy will have Morton very organised and of course he is a boss that I know well.”
“He was in charge of me twice at Dundee and once at Brechin and he is a manager that I have a lot of respect for. He took me to Dundee from Celtic and gave me a chance to establish myself at a senior level so I have a lot to thank him for.”
“I do however hope that he is disappointed on Saturday.”
As well as knowing Duffy well Smith is no stranger to Morton’s Cappielow ground as he explained: “I played there for Morton under Jim McInally when I came back from a spell playing in Iceland.”
The 40 year old is well known in Scottish football for starting his career at Celtic Park before becoming a stalwart in the Dark Blue of Dundee, however, he squeezed in stints with the Greenock side as well as with Partick Thistle after moving to Iceland in 2006.
Smith, who spent 11 years at Dens Park, extended his playing career at Valur and he said: “I did a few seasons in Iceland before I started my coaching career at Dundee whist continuing to play at Brechin. I would go up and play there for part of the season and then come back and play from January to April in Scotland.”
“I played with Partick the season before I went to Morton and then Brechin afterwards which surprises some people as I am usually always associated with Dundee.”
“Morton were in the Championship when I was there and it was the season that Hamilton won it in 2008.”
Smith added: “Morton was a good move for me as it was quite local and they also trained at the Quarriers Village which was even handier but unfortunately I only played in 8 games. I was injured quite early on and never got myself back into the team after that.”
“I made my debut in a Scottish Cup tie against Gretna that we drew 2-2 and I played in the replay that Morton won 3-0 so that was probably the highlight of my short time there.”
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