Alloa have no plans to rush into finding a replacement for manager Barry Smith who resigned on Saturday after his side went down 1-0 at Dumbarton. Assistant manager Paddy Connolly has been placed in temporary charge and will prepare the side for next Saturday’s game with Falkirk as the Clackmannanshire club come to terms with Smith’s surprise decision.
The former Dundee manager joined the Indodrill Stadium side last January to replace Paul Hartley, and kept them in the Championship last season, before guiding the Wasps to next month’s Final of the Petrofac Training Cup after a semi-final 3-2 comeback win over Rangers.
However the defeat to the Sons left Smith’s side in ninth place 8 points behind their hosts and he decided to fall on his sword despite chairman Mike Mulraney and other board members’ best attempts to talk him out of it.
A source at the club said: “Paddy is in charge at the moment and will be until we decide on what we do next as no-one saw this coming. We were very unfortunate to lose as we had plenty of chances against Dumbarton however failed to take them.”
“Barry felt that as he was the manager who brought the players in, he is responsible for their performance so it was best to resign. The chairman and members of the Board tried to get him to change his mind however he felt it was the right course of action.”
“It was obviously not an easy decision for Barry to take. He is well-liked and well-respected by everyone at the club.”
Smith declined to comment stating only: “I want to leave it for a few days before saying anything.”
The job is unlikely to be short of applicants with Billy Stark a potential candidate after losing out on the Ayr United job to Ian McCall recently.
Danny Lennon who has a temporary role with the Scotland under-21 side is another name that may interest the Alloa board as is Stranraer’s Stephen Aitken and Ray McKinnon of Brechin.