Derby day delight for Alloa

Danny Lennon opted for Michael Duffy in attack as Michael Chopra dropped to the bench.

The visitors took the early impetus and rattled the woodwork inside the opening two minutes.

Good work from Luke Leahy on the left to cross and Peter Grant's header struck the bar on its way over.

Falkirk continued to press in the early stages and when a scramble ensued in the Wasps' box on 10 minutes, only a Jason Marr block then a terrific David Crawford save denied them the early lead.

Alloa responded well and soon got on the front foot. Graeme Holmes, Iain Flannigan and Connor McManus played their way through midfield to find Burton O'Brien in space, he clipped a superb through pass to Duffy, but his ferocious shot was tipped onto the underside of the bar. The ball looked to bounce down close to the line, but the officials waved play on to the disgust of the home support.

Alloa almost took the lead again moments later, when Flannigan's free kick fell at the feet of Robbie Crawford. He knocked the ball beyond Rogers, but Leahy was there to hack the ball off the line.

Peter Houston's men hit back and could have grabbed the opener themselves on 20 minutes. Craig Sibbald picked out John Baird with his run in behind the Alloa defensive line, but Dougie Hill recovered well to get a vital touch on the goal bound effort to deflect clear for a corner.

Alloa burst out on the counter attack and Flannigan sent Duffy racing through on goal with a long through pass. The young Irishman got the better of Leahy, but Rogers was equal to the shot.

The game was swinging from end to end and on the half hour mark it was the visitors turn to threaten.

Baird did well to collect a pass from Sibbald on the edge of the area, but as he spun and got his shot away, Marr got back to deflect the ball to safety.

Duffy was now proving a real handful for the Bairns on the counter attack and he could have given his side the lead when he got on the end of a Kyle McAusland cross, but he couldn't keep his header down.

It was fitting for his first half display that it was Duffy who had the final chance of the opening period. He picked up the ball out on the left wing, then skipped past Will Vaulks with ease as he cut into to shoot, but the effort was deflected wide as the half time whistle went.

After finishing the half on the front foot, no one inside the ground could have predicted just how dominant the visitors would be in the second half.

Falkirk pushed forward with purpose from the outset to force a corner. Sibbald did well to rescue the poor delivery to glide past two inside the box and shoot, but Crawford was there to smother the ball with a brave save.

Vaulks then did well to burst down the right to cross, but Baird could only head wide of the target under pressure from Hill.

Vaulks then got a chance to test the keeper from a 30-yard free kick, but his effort was headed clear by Hill.

On the hour mark, the visitors began to turn the screw and good pressure by Baird forced an error from Marr, but the defender's blushes were spared when Crawford won the one on one battle with a block on the shot.

Marr's day went from bad to worse on 68 minutes when he halted the run of Lee Miller as the hitman tried to race in on goal.

The referee had no choice but to award the penalty and show the Wasps defender a straight red card.

Baird stepped up to smash the penalty kick high into the net past Crawford to give his side a vital lead.

Alloa shuffled the pack well with the introduction of Mark Williams in place of Burton O'Brien, and this allowed them to once again stand up well to the constant pressure from the Bairns.

Falkirk should have killed off the game on 74 minutes when Vaulks superb cross picked out the run of Sibbald into the box, his bullet header was flying toward the top corner, but Crawford somehow got across to claw the ball to safety.

The introduction of substitutes Eddie Ferns and Michael Chopra gave the Wasps a much needed out-ball on the counter again and the change almost had an immediate reward.

A slip from Grant allowed Ferns to snatch possession and race through on goal, but his effort was brilliantly tipped over by Rogers.

Ferns took the corner, but the Bairns scrambled the ball clear before being penalised for a foul on Hill as he tried to recycle the ball back into the danger zone.

Keeper Crawford took the kick as the Wasps went for broke.

The delivery was only cleared as far as McAusland and he picked out Colin Hamilton, who smashed the ball goal ward on the edge of the area.

The shot somehow squirmed through the fingers of Rogers to give the hosts an unlikely equaliser and send the home fans into euphoria.

Falkirk had one last go for a winner when a long cross fell to Vaulks six yards from goal, but once again Crawford was there to make a crucial save and earn his side a point.

Advertiser sport man of the match: David Crawford

Alloa Athletic: Crawford, McAusland, Hamilton, Hill, Marr, O'Brien (Williams 69), Holmes (Chopra 75), Flannigan, McManus, Crawford, Duffy (Ferns 82).

Subs not used: McNeil (GK), Paun, Reintam, Hetherington.

Attendance: 1572