Reaction

A SCINTILLATING first half display saw Alloa Athletic come from behind to see off hosts Stranraer with an emphatic 5-2 win. The home side came out the traps flying and took the lead inside the opening few minutes. Christian Nade did well to power past his marker on the left wing before driving a stinging ball across goal which Parry got a hand to, but the razor sharp Craig Malcolm was there to pounce on the rebound to make it 1-0 from close range.

The Wasps responded well and immediately went on the hunt for the equaliser. Jon Robertson led the first attack as he sent Scott Taggart in down the right, his cross found Greig Spence, but the shot was straight at the keeper. Spence was soon played in behind the Stranraer defence by Iain Flannigan, but again he was thwarted by the keeper. The hosts should’ve doubled their advantage on 15 minutes when Malcolm got to a corner from six yards, but this time Parry denied him with a great save.

Jim Goodwin latched onto a poor kick out by the Stranraer keeper to play Spence through on goal. The shot was well saved by the feet of Cameron Belford, but Flannigan dispatched the rebounding ball into the corner from the edge of the box with a stunning first time strike to make it 2-1. Things went from bad to worse for the hosts as Alloa began to hit top gear on 28 minutes. Kirkpatrick produced a wonderful bit of skill to beat his marker wide on the right, before smashing the ball beyond Belford into the far corner to make it 3-1. Alloa looked like scoring every time they went forward during this spell of the game and they soon added two more goals to extend their advantage to four.

Spence grabbed his second of the afternoon on 33 minutes after a wonderful flowing move involving Flannigan, Kirkpatrick and Robertson. The ball was eventually worked out to Calum Waters on the left and he picked out Spence who finished from close range for 4-1. The wasps took just six minutes more to make it 5-1. This time it was Kirkpatrick’s turn to add to his tally for the day. Flannigan picked out the run of Spence who had pulled out to wide left, his cross found Kirkpatrick in box, who simply spun and finished into the corner to give Alloa a 5-1 half time lead.

The home side came out with a renewed optimism after the interval trying to restore pride to the scoreline and they got an immediate response. Robertson’s cross to the back post, was met by the head of Nade. Parry made a brilliant save to deny him, but Malcolm reacted quickest again to fire home the rebound to make it 5-2. Stranraer should have made it 5-3 on 55 minutes. Malcolm again making a nuisance of himself in the box, created a shooting chance for winger Craig Thomson, but the shot was cleared off the line by Waters.

Spence was almost in for the hat trick when Kirkpatrick picked him out with a searching cross into the box, but this time the header was off target. The second half became a real battle and Alloa had to show a different side to their game as they battled to keep their hosts at bay. Jim Goodwin was booked just before the hour mark and then replaced shortly after as Skipper Graeme Holmes made his entrance. Flannigan and Holmes then went on to dominate and dictate play from the midfield for the remainder of the match. The Wasps defended well to limit Stranraer to a few speculative long range efforts from Willie Gibson that were off target. Stranraer, to their credit kept going and had their best chance to add to their tally on 80 minutes. A deep cross into the Alloa box from the left was punched clear bravely by Parry, as he was clattered by Nade. The ball fell kindly for full back Scott Robertson, but his strike was cleared off the line by Waters for the second time in the game.

The final chance of the game went the Wasps way and it was Spence who turned provider this time to send substitute Isaac Layne in down the right with well timed through pass. Layne spun his marker well then picked out Flannigan with the cut back, but the shot was blocked and then cleared as the final whistle went. Seven wins out of seven competitive games for Alloa and they moved above rivals Livingston on goal difference after both teams continued their 100% start to League One.

Match Report – Graeme Lafferty