Reaction

Alloa limped home from a freezing day in Methil with just a point after a 1-1 draw and another red card.

The Wasps almost were ahead after 5 minutes when Scougall sliced wide of the target. Alloa captain Andy Graham had flicked it goalward from a long throw but the diminutive midfielder couldn’t direct his effort.

Alloa again threatened 13 minutes in as Cawley smashed high over the bar. King had made a brilliant run into the channel and found Henderson with his first-time cross. The on-form forward controlled and rolled into the path of the Wasps legend but a bounce just before contact thwarted the potential opener.

East Fife did cause plenty of problems in the box as they won a succession of corners from the 17th minute. Higgins connected with the corner and sent a strong effort on it’s way toward goal but for the intervention of Jon Robertson. It would break for Davidson on the edge of the box but he scooped a long strike well over the bar.

Stefan Scougall almost produced the opener as his quick-thinking free-kick smashed the post from a wide angle. Seeing the East Fife goalkeeper leaving his front post for what seemed more likely to be a cross. Scougall curled almost to perfection but could only find the outside curve of the woodwork.

Adam King won the ball back just inside his half and found himself charging down the right as Alloa’s furthest forward attacker. He pinpointedly found Cawley with a cross field switch. Cawley laid off Mouhamed ‘Sena’ Niang but his attempt to place it in the bottom corner and emulate his excellent finish against Bonnyrigg, only swept wide of the East Fife goal.

That was the sum total of chances in the first half – which undoubtedly was a disappointing return after the high quality display the Wasps produced in last week’s Scottish Cup exploits. But, the Wasps reacted well after the break.

Henderson started the injection of pace with a driving effort from outside the box turned away by only the fingertips of Jude Smith. Andy Graham would almost loop the resulting corner beyond Smith and Sena would desperately attempt to prod home but to no avail. With the concerted Alloa pressure it would only take a minute for the visitors to break the deadlock.

Adam King arced a high pass over the East Fife defence after the Fifers’ partial clearance from a signature Andy Graham aimed long throw found him on the end of the box. Euan Henderson was quickest to react and almost in one motion took three successive touches to poke under Smith and set Alloa on the way to victory. An 11th goal of the season for Henderson and his 9th in his last 7 Alloa appearances.

But Alloa seemed to get drawn into a similar pattern of being pinned down in their own half and they struggled to build meaningful attacks into the East Fife half. Kevin Smith would volley straight at Hutton but except the stinging hands of the goalkeeper they would survive. What looked like a shrewd professional foul after a slip by Howie gave away a free-kick and a yellow card but Mercer could only place it comfortably into the hands of Hutton. The Alloa center half, however would pick up a second yellow with a mistimed lunge connecting just outside the box. With Howie given his marching orders for the second time this season, the East Fife onslaught was prepped and five minutes later found the breakthrough.

Substitute Connell looped in a cross and while Taggart, successfully beat his marker to the ball, he could only head back to his own goal. Semple was inside the 6 yard box to pounce on the most fortuitous circumstance and smash into the bottom corner.

Alloa would introduce Sammon and Boyd and the two almost combined in the closing minutes but the flick just ran beyond Boyd and gratefully into the on-rushing East Fife goallie. Boyd almost picked out Sammon after a deft touchline dribble cleared space for a driven cross. Murdoch just managed to meet the delivery ahead of Sammon and Alloa were condemned to a draw against the bottom of the table strugglers.