Edinburgh boss Alan Maybury rues slow start as Citizens slip to third in League One

Alan Maybury has urged his FC Edinburgh players to cut out the sluggish starts after they slipped to third in the League One standings.

A Conor Sammon double had Alloa in first-half ascendency and despite player of the month John Robertson reducing the arrears with a well-placed finish eight minutes after the restart, the visitors fell to defeat in Clackmannanshire.

The Meadowbank outfit have now slipped seven points off the pace of leaders Dunfermline, who have played two games fewer. Next up for the Citizens is the visit of second-placed Falkirk in just under a fortnight's time.

"We've spoken about that we can't keep giving teams head starts and then trying to chase it down," Maybury said afterwards. "It's been a little bit like that for the last couple of weeks. So, it's something we need to fix.

FC Edinburgh boss Alan Maybury

"I need to credit Alloa as they started really well but I thought we were really good in the second half and it was only a matter of time before we got a goal back, but we just gave ourselves too much to do.

"I always felt we were going to be a bit disjointed with a couple of loans leaving the club last week as well as a few injuries. So, with having no game next weekend we always wanted to try and get through the Alloa match but, as I say, we just gave ourselves too much to do despite the players trying to chase it down.

"After we got the goal back, we had a lot of nearly moments with the ball fizzing across the goal, or we can't dig out the cross or they defend it well, but we never really opened them up after that with good pressure."

Following November's Scottish Cup exit to non-league Drumchapel United, the Capital men have no competitive fixture this weekend but have lined up a friendly to keep things ticking over.

Maybury added: "We've got a game lined up so there will be a couple of boys like Callum Tapping who will get more game time and I'll have a look at one or two others. We're going to try and get one or two in and replace the others who have left so we should be in a much better position going into the Falkirk game."