It was again a sparse bench as Alloa opened the cinch League 1 campaign against Peterhead at Balmoor Stadium. Taggart, Robertson, Durnan, Cawley and Armour all missing for the trip to the northeast and Fernandy Mendy, Alan Trouten and Mark Lamont having a very limited pre-season. It’s very much a work in progress team as Alloa set up with Fernandy Mendy at CB for his Alloa debut.

But after 8 minutes it was Peterhead who showed they were the sharper team. Andy Graham isolated in a 1v1 with Niah Payne, the forward blasted past the captain to the byline and curled a cross in between Mendy and Howie to give the hosts the opener. A former Wasps’ youngster, Russell McLean’s second spell getting off to a flyer at Peterhead. It was to get little better as Peterhead created the best opportunities of the half. Hutton called into action for a few routine stops while at the other end Brett Long was still to be tested. Boyd and Sammon had the pick of the efforts but both saw their attempts fizz off target.

The second half saw the introduction of the youngsters O’Donnell and Webster and the two spearheaded what looked to be a refocused and driven Alloa response. But that was firmly deflated in the 63rd minute when Russell McLean would find himself in behind the Alloa defense and this time turn provider to Niah Payne who inside the 6 yard box directed the cross past Hutton to give Peterhead a commanding lead. Despite the increasingly urgent, and often wasteful, Alloa, Brett Long wouldn’t be called into any real action as the game petered out to the delight of the home fans.

It’s an opening day blow to Alloa’s promotion expectations and one that didn’t escape the criticism of the boss, Barry Ferguson:

“I’m really disappointed, we’re missing experienced players who would be in contention to be in the starting XI but I’m not going to use that as an excuse. It’s not good enough. I know that, I’m very honest, hence the reason I’m a bit later out the dressing room.”

“We had a long chat and we need to go seriously work on things. It’s a fact that Tuesday and Thursday we need to get a reaction for the game on Saturday.”

There’s a lot of things we need to do

“Peterhead were the better team, first to every ball, [and to] every second ball. Which really disappoints me… there’s a lot of things we need to do… not just the players but myself and the coaching staff too.”

Next week we will get a reaction because that’s not good enough today

“We’ve worked hard in training but today’s not the way that I want my team to play; It’s not the type of performance that we want to see. Next week we will get a reaction because that’s not good enough today.”

“Parry is still part of the squad. I’ll change the goalkeepers again next week. It’s difficult to make these decisions but I didn’t want anyone extra traveling. I wanted Hutt’s in, it’s an area of the pitch I want competition for places. He’s still part of it and a big part of the squad and I want him to fight for his place. In the coming weeks he could be back in.”

It was a bit of a dead rubber for Alloa with qualification already denied after defeats to Cowdenbeath and Brechin. Raith though needed a win to guarantee not nervously looking toward the score of the Livingston vs Cowdenbeath tie at the end of the day.

Jamie Macdonald almost made a hash of the first Alloa opportunity as he nearly fumbled a Taggart freekick into the path of the on-rushing Conor Sammon, but gathered at the second attempt.

But it was the home side carved out most of the chances but the new signing, David Hutton and his capable two in front of Andy Graham and Craig Howie put life and limb in the way of every Raith opportunity.

In the second half Alloa had an incisive opening but Steven Boyd cutting in on his left foot could only roll it past the post. Sammon was also denied as he broke into the box, his opening effort blocked, the second was a venomous shot at Macdonald’s front post. It received a strong set of hands to parry wide.

Raith substitute Varian would flick over inside the six yard box. The Raith missed opportunities were very reminiscent of the final day in 2017-18 when the Kirkaldy side were held to the loss of league title and promotion to the Championship.

But the game fizzled out to penalties. Sammon’s opening penalty was saved in an otherwise flawless shootout. Taggart, Scougall, Graham and King netting for Alloa. While Benedictus, Keatings, Spencer and Varian fired past Hutton, before Vaughan, the man who hit the post in the final minutes back in 2017-18, stepped up to secure the bonus point win and Raith’s qualification as group winners. They were joined by Livingston after a 3-1 win over Cowdenbeath saw them through as one of the three best runner’s up.

It was a toothless performance in front of goal as Alloa passed up a heap of chances against last year’s club 42. Albeit Alloa were struggling with the absence of Durnan, Cawley, Trouten and Lamont but it did leave the opportunity for youngsters Ben Ramage and Devan McColl to join the first team squad.

Alloa’s first half was methodical with a steady stream of chances opening up. Taggart drilled an effort off the top of the bar. Boyd screwed an effort wide and probably most egregious, Ben Armour passed up the best opportunity by heading over from 6 yards.

In the second half, the almost inevitable sucker punch was struck by Brechin local Marc Scott. He broke from midfield onto a flick on and Robertson couldn’t do anything to stop him charging into the box and rifling an exquisite effort into the top corner beyond the helpless McDowall.

Boyd attempted to lead the counter charge but again Brechin crowded him out. O’Donnell saw the best opportunity fall to him from 8 yards but could only direct it into Wills’ grateful arms. Connor Sammon again found himself in great areas but late on couldn’t find the finish to rescue Alloa from group D mediocrity. Dev McColl would make his debut, but sadly couldn’t make an impact on the already slipping away tie.

Alloa burst back into Group D contention with a win over the Premiership favourites Livingston.

It’s only been 4 years since both were competing for the League 1 title and you’d be hard pressed to notice the seeming difference in quality that’s seen Livingston’s meteoric rise in Scottish football. Three massive chances fell to Conor Sammon but Alloa’s lone frontman failed to convert. The first was a pinpoint cross into the six yard box from O’Donnell who made the space with an exquisite trick (⬇️➡️ On the analogue stick if you’re a Fifa connoisseur) but Sammon could only head the ball up and over.
The second meanwhile was no skill, just a speculative lob by Howie, that was bizarrely left by both Livi central defenders, the Irishman again failed to execute as he produced a tame effort for Stryjek to catch. In the 36th minute the frontman would beat the keeper. Once again Howie’s lofted through ball finding Sammon running in behind, and with no Livingston defenders in sight, Sammon squeezed the ball under Stryjek only for the ball to strike the post and bounce back into the grateful arms of the goallie. Andy Graham was almost an unlikely scorer too as he looped a Scott Taggart delivery off the bar after beating Stryjek with a jumping header. The ricochet came too quick for Robertson lurking at the back post.

With the second half it looked like more of the same from Alloa. The left back, Dan Church almost delivering the opener, with an in-swinging cross on his weaker foot, just missing the net by a yard. Scougall drilled a shot along the floor too to test the Livingston keeper as the West Lothian side again made simple errors. But Livi sucker punched Alloa with a Bruce Anderson finish. Ben Williamson played the ball wide to Longridge who drilled a cross along the six yard box. The former Aberdeen forward smashed home at the near post.

What followed was a pretty demoralising 15 minutes as Livingston coyly stroked the ball around the back comfortable in the fact that Alloa would need to press them higher and expose themselves to the long diagonal that Alloa had dealt with so comfortably all game. Honourable mentions go to Boyd and Armour who initiated some deep pressing and exposed more of Livingston’s brittle possession football. With 9 minutes of normal time though it was Alloa escaping the Livingston press from defence – Graham launching the ball wide to marauding right back Scott Taggart – he would cut inside and accept Livingston’s invitations to keep going and going until he was almost in the six yard box. With the calls of ‘shoot’ from the commentators and fans, Taggart duly obliged and fired into the bottom corner past Stryjek. With the tide turned and Alloa would win a penalty from the clumsy Ayo Obileye clip of O’Donnell’s heel. Step up Alan Trouten and you know the rest.

It puts potential qualification back in Alloa’s own hands albeit they’ll need to find the net a few times in the upcoming away fixtures at Brechin and Kirkcaldy.

The Premier Sport Cup campaign kicked off to a damp start as Alloa succumbed to a Liam Buchanan goal. The Cowdenbeath striker lobbed home past Neil Parry after a poor mistake by the goalkeeper.

Alloa will feel hard done by as they thought they had equalised in the final minutes with Adam King drilling the ball into the bottom corner but an errant, air swing at the ball by offside Conor Sammon, was deemed to interfere with play and it was chopped off. Alloa had bright moments regularly throughout the first half and especially in the closing minutes but lacked the cutting edge to punish the Fife side. Boyd, Cawley, Robertson and Sammon all missing or being denied in crucial moments.

Great to see fans back in the stadium but frustrating not to secure anything from our season opener.