Alloa won the Third Division title last weekend with an 8-1 win over Elgin City topping off a great season. Manager Paul Hartley was full of praise for his chairman at Recreation Park, Mike Mulraney, for giving him his first managerial opportunity last season despite the then Aberdeen captain having no experience of running a team. Hartley said: "Alloa had to build again at the end of last season and people looked at the Chairman and said it was taking a bit of a gamble by taking on a rookie manager. I have to give him so much praise because he did take the chance on me and anything I have asked for he has tried to give me. I am so pleased for Mike because he has taken a lot of stick over the last 18 months to 2 years and we are back to hopefully where we belong and we can try and kick on from here." The former Scotland midfielder went on: "It has been a team effort here from Mike, the other Directors, management team, playing staff, other people around the ground and the fans. We wanted everybody to be positive because the club had been on a bit of a downer with relegation and it has worked. I am especially pleased for my assistant manager, Paddy Connelly, as he has never won a thing in the game before and has been in it for some 20 years."
Source: FOOTYMAD
