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.

Alloa were neatly dispatched by Hearts at home on Tuesday night so expectations may have been low for Alloa’s progression to the next round of the Betfred Cup.

Neil Parry pulled off an early double save to Deny Olly Lee and then Liam Boyce. Hearts early dominated the ball but failed to punish Alloa. Walker headed wide from a Smith cross as the pressure continued. Peter Haring almost made the breakthrough with an unlikely second goal in two games. Kingsley’s delivery was volleyed over though.

As the half wore on to the end Alloa started to look bright. Alan Trouten with a driving shot stinging Gordon’s hands.

After the break there was more Hearts pressure with Liam Dick and Nicky Jamieson showing their defensive qualities.

17 minutes from time Alloa carved out the best opportunity of the game as Liam Buchanan headed unmarked low to Gordon’s left. The Scotland international needed to be at full stretch to deny the Alloa opener.

With extra time reinforcements of Connelly and Thomson, Alloa were looking likeliest to break the deadlock and just two minutes into the second period Robert Thomson was judged to be fouled and Alloa were awarded a penalty. A seeming test of mettle for legendary penalty taker Alan Trouten. Craig Gordon was fooled and Trouten sent him the wrong way to give Alloa the lead and the first major competitive victory over Heart of Midlothian in their history.

Alloa needed a win to put themselves in contention for the four best runners up in the Betfred Cup group stages. Stenhousemuir were looking to avoid the wooden spoon in group H but their buildup was marred by a COVID-19 diagnosis and numerous members of their back line missing. With an average age of just 22.2 years old it seemed an excellent time for Alloa to blood their new talent and rotate their other veterans. 8 changes for the Wasps saw Jamieson, Williamson, Murray, O’Donnell, Scougall, Malcolm, Buchanan and Evans all rotated in.

The vastly changed Alloa team looked exactly that, though, Willison having to be alert to stop Stenhousemuir taking the early lead as the visitors surprisingly dominated the first half. Alloa did carve open a gilt edged opportunity as Jamieson’s header found its way through to Scougall in the box but his cutback to Buchanan was spurned as a sprawling Stenhousemuir defender desperately put him off.

With the first half continuing the same way. The opening goal was inevitable for the visitors. Yeats cutback met by Cameron Graham and Adam Brown’s attempted headed block sent it into the top corner as Willison looked likely to save the effort.

Things went from bad to worse just four minutes later as Willison came to punch a deep free-kick, only to be clattered into in the box. With the keeper down and the ball loose, a desperate challenge from the young Alloa forward Liam Evans mis-timed on the Stenhousemuir attacker was a stonewall penalty. Former favourite, Greig Spence stepped up at his old haunt and slotted away the penalty.

The last 16 looked to be slipping through Alloa’s hands.

With 15 minutes of the second half gone and no change in the flow of the game Peter Grant sent on Steven Hetherington and Raymond Grant in place of Murray and Evans. A succession of Alloa corners was eventually prodded home at the back post by Liam Buchanan and Alloa were back in business.

Stenhousemuir were more and more finding themselves pinned in their own half as Williamson won a penalty in almost identical challenge to Stenhousemuir’s award. Buchanan would command the penalty and send the keeper the wrong way with 20 minutes remaining. One more goal would put Alloa in prime position to qualify, with results in the other games looking favourably on the Wasps and in the 78th minute Buchanan would wrap up a hat-trick. Although, not that the Alloa forward knew much about it. Young Paddy Martin fumbling the cross onto the strikers back and ricocheting towards goal. Despite the desperate legwork of the Stenhousemuir defender the ball trickled over the line for Buchanan’s first Alloa hattrick and first since his Cowdenbeath days vs Alloa in 2006.

Steven Hetherington would then add to the Martin’s misery as from 25 yards he was left statuesque as the Alloa midfielder secured all three points and a place in the last 16 for Alloa.

Alloa’s prize is a last 16 tie against fellow Championship side Heart of Midlothian on 28/29th November.

 

Edinburgh City Programme

‘The Wasps’ and their opponents tonight will have different ambitions after their League Cup openers. Alloa still looking to qualify, although the likelihood of finishing as group winners is admittedly slim. A place among the best runners up will likely necessitate a win against the ailing Edinburgh City. Livingston romped to a 5-1 win in their opener and the League 2 side could only share a point with Stenhousemuir before losing out on the penalty shootout bonus point. They can no longer qualify and are simply paying for pride and a slight increase in prize money.

The opening effort was from Edinburgh City’s newest citizen, Raffaele De Vita signing from Livingston just days before the fixture. He opted for a volley and was never troubling Parry’s goal.

Alloa created a pleasing passage of play with a one-two between full back Robertson and Cawley almost opening the way for Liam Buchanan to open the scoring. From 12 yards, the striker could only fire the effort over the bar. The breakthrough wouldn’t be long in coming though. Edin Lynch with the eye for the pass to pick out unmarked Lee Connelly. Touched and delivered at the back post to Kevin Cawley. He unselfishly laid it on a plate for Alloa’s marquee summer signing Stefan Scougall to slot home from the 6 yard line.

Connelly looked to be through on goal himself when Alloa countered rapidly from a City corner. The on-loan Sunderland forward opted to take it early and sent it comfortably over Antell’s goal.

Danny Jardine was almost on the scoresheet for Edinburgh City as an overhit cross looped towards the Alloa goal. Neil Parry though was quick to tip it over the bar.

On forty-one minutes Parry would drop to collect a headed pass back but the innocuous action led to an injury. The Alloa number one retreating gingerly from the park holding his calf, while, Andy Wilson took to the sticks.

HT | 1-0

Edinburgh were first to threaten in the second half as Jardine’s looping cross fell to De Vita at the back post. He could only direct it wide into the advertising boards. Josh Campbell aimed a snapshot from out the box, but thankfully, his effort was wayward.

Alloa undoubtedly then had their best period of the game. Liam Dick cutting out a short pass, zipped a through ball in front of Connelly who expertly chopped the ball through the legs of the City defender and advanced one-v-one with Callum Antell. He could only slot the effort wide. Thirty seconds later, Alloa threatened down the other side. Cawley releasing Robertson to deliver to the waiting Alan Trouten. His effort was flying goalwards if not for a deflection from thigh of an Edinburgh City defender.

Minutes later Alloa struck the woodwork. Cawley turned his full back marker inside out with one touch inside and split the defence with a pass to Trouten. He pirouetted in the box and placed a left footed effort beyond Antell only to be denied by the woodwork. Buchanan was on the rebound, in front of an empty goal, but inexplicably lifted the follow-up over the bar onto the roof of the terracing from 6 yards.

‘The Wasps’ again had numerical advantage in the box when flying full back Liam Dick attacked down the left. His low drilled ball could only find the keeper’s hands while ricocheting off the left back for an Edinburgh City goal kick.

Alan Trouten, would be the next man in black and amber to fail to increase the cushion as Buchanan’s cross from the right seemed pinpoint onto the Alloa midfielder at the back post. The ball seemed to trickle off the midfielders foot as he frustratingly sent his attempt wide.

Alloa would get a warning as Wilson’s loose throw set City up for a quick counter. Substitute Blair Henderson, was crowded out and his shot collected by a relieved keeper. The relief was temporary though as Thomson’s delivery found an unmarked Henderson. From inside six yards, Edinburgh had found the equaliser and set up what looked to be a frustrating night for the Wasps.

Minutes later, Alloa were fortunate to be saved by a refereeing decision. A weak header out of the box saw Liam Brown scuff a shot into the path of Ouzy See. He finished with aplomb only for the assistant’s errant flag to come to the Alloa rescue. Jon Robertson clearly playing See onside from the replays.

Alloa almost snatched on a mixup between goalkeeper and defender on the edge of the 18 yard box as Liam Dick was gifted an opportunity. The left back, not known for his scoring prowess could only hit the stranded goalkeeper. Although the ball was retained, Edinburgh now had numbers back in the box. Working the ball from left to right, step forward, once again Robert Thomson. His deceptively quick feet forged what seemed like an impossible passage into the Edinburgh box and he snuck an effort under both defender and goalkeeper to trundle a shot into the net.

A third goal in three games has already exceeded his tally from last year and in this form it’d be hard to see another drought coming. He almost doubled his tally with a late foray, only to be denied by the goalie’s outstretched legs.

Alloa join Livingston on 6 points and continue hopeful of a top runner up spot. Edinburgh prop up the table as we all return to our respective League action on Saturday.