SHOT-SHY Alloa Athletic slumped to a sixth straight defeat after a 1-0 home defeat to Greenock Morton at the Indodrill Stadium.

The home side were without two key players as influential skipper Dougie Hill missed out with concussion and top scorer Iain Flannigan was still missing with a back injury.

The visitors started the match brightly and should have been in front within the first 60 seconds. Connor Pepper did well to get down the left and cross for Stefan McLuskey, but the Ton midfielder could only fire wide of the mark from 12 yards out.

Alloa responded well and full back Mark Williams showed good pace to burst down the right, played a neat 1-2 with Michael Chopra to cross, but there were no takers in the box.

Morton then caught the Wasps on the break when Bobby Barr burst down the right wing to cross, the ball fell at the feet of hitman Denny Johnstone, but Williams got back to make a crucial tackle.

Alloa produced the best chance of the first half on 12 minutes when good play from Michael Duffy saw him beat his man to find Chopra in the box. The striker spun his marker superbly to turn and fire a shot on goal forcing a great save from Grant Adam to block.

Williams was once again the man driving Alloa forward soon after and his run down the right almost produced a second clear cut chance for Chopra, but Thomas O'Ware got back to intercept.

Set piece specialist Ross Forbes then caused problems for the hosts with a whipped corner that found its way to the feet of O'Ware, but he let Alloa off the hook with a tame shot that was straight at David Crawford.

Danny Lennon's men could have taken the lead on 18 minutes when Williams seized on an error in the Morton defence to burst into the box. He first tried to lay the ball into the feet of Chopra, the ball ricocheted back to him, but his follow up shot on goal was hacked off the line by Lee Kilday.

Alloa then caught Morton on the break on 26 minutes when Burton O'Brien dispossessed Forbes to send Duffy racing through on the left. He found Chopra with the cut back, but despite getting past one defender, O'Ware got back in to block the shot on goal.

The home fans were roaring for a penalty on 34 minutes when a Kyle McAusland's cross bounced up into the arms of Ricki Lamie, but the referee judged it as accidental and waved the play on.

Good work from Geoff Mitchell down the left earned his side a corner and from the kick McAusland saw his header flash just past the post.

Morton ended the half on the front foot when Barr and Johnstone threatened, but Jason Marr did well to thwart the attack.

McAusland almost gifted the visitors the lead with the last kick of the half when a loose pass gifted the ball to Michael Miller, he found Johnstone, but his shot was tame and straight at the keeper.

The second period was slow in getting going as a spectacle as neither side were able to take the game by the scruff of the neck.

Morton defender O'Ware tried his luck from long range with a shot that fizzed just over the top.

Mitchell then broke well down the left for Alloa on 68 minutes as he burst past his marker to cross, but neither Connor McManus or Duffy opted to shoot and the chance was lost.

The visitors took the lead soon after from a set piece. Pepper won his side a free kick on the left just inside his own half. Lamie lumped a long diagonal into the box, which travelled all the way to the penalty spot, before O'Ware met the ball to loop into the top corner.

Jim Duffy's side should have doubled their advantage soon after when Pepper did well to get to the byline and cross, but McAusland got back to clear the ball off the line.

The home side had a lot of possession in the final ten minutes, but were never able to make it count as Morton held firm to seal a vital three points.

Advertiser sport man of the match: Mark Williams