ALLOA Athletic crashed to the foot of the SPFL Championship after a 3-0 defeat at the hands of rivals Livingston. 
It seems to be par for the course in football when a former player, especially a striker, returns to face his old side that he will score more often than not. 
And that proved the case for Liam Buchanan as the former Wasps hero notched a double to put his old side to the sword. 
Alloa started the game well and were on top in the early stages to carve out they first openings. Iain Flannigan was presented with a shooting opportunity from an early free kick, his initial shot was blocked, but Kyle McAusland was able to recycle the ball back to the midfielder inside the Livingston box only for Ben Gordon to save the day for the visitors. 
The former Wasps skipper was almost on the score sheet as well against his old side when he headed a corner goal wards moments later, but David Crawford did well to save. 
The visitors were in control at this stage, but the hosts looked dangerous on the break and carved out two good opportunities from good counter attacks. 
Firstly, Burton O'Brien did well to dispossess Jordyn Sheerin and immediately release Colin Hamilton in down the left with a super diagonal ball. The full back spun his marker well to pick out Flannigan with the cut back, but he was snuffed out again by Gordon as he looked to shoot. 
It was then the turn of Michael Chopra to look to inspire his side. He spun away from his marker cleverly to try his luck with a stinging drive from 35 yards, but the keeper was able to tip over. 
Mark Burchill's side grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck on 23 minutes and it was that man Buchanan, who came back to haunt his former side. 
Sheerin collected the ball on halfway and was able to advance some 30 yards unchallenged before slipping the ball into the path of Buchanan who took the pass expertly in his stride before smashing beyond Crawford for the opener. 
Alloa tried to respond immediately and Michael Duffy showed some nice feet to get past two players and feed the ball into Chopra, his layoff teed up Connor McManus for the shot, but the effort was off target. 
Danny Lennon's side finished the half strongly with a double chance to equalise. 
Flannigan did well to earn a free kick for his side wide on the left. Chopra almost caught the Livingston keeper out with a quick taken shot towards the near post, but the keeper did well to gather in the end. 
Alloa ended the half with a corner. Flannigan's cross was met by Mikk Reintam, his header looped beyond the keeper, but Longridge got back to clear the ball off the line to retain his side's lead at the interval. 
After the restart, Alloa started the brighter with a lot of possession without really producing an end product, but it was once again the visitors who struck with a real sucker punch. 
It was Livingston's first attack of the second half on 58 minutes and one they made count as they doubled their advantage. Ross Mullen seemed to catch the Wasps' defence sleeping with a brilliant diagonal into the box and Sheerin was there unmarked to smash the ball home from close range.
The Wasps then produced a decent move as they looked desperately for a way back into the match as Chopra, Duffy and McManus combined well to setup Flannigan, but the keeper was equal to his shot. 
McAusland then burst out of defence well with a rampaging run past three players to put Flannigan in down the right, but his delicious cross was missed by everyone in the box. 
Danny Lennon made a triple substitution in a bid to rejuvenate his side as McAusland, Flannigan and O'Brien were replaced by Ferns, Holmes and Williams. 
The visitors were not for budging though and continued to forge forward. 
It should have been 3-0 on 74 minutes when Buchanan's picked out the run of Livi sub Faria at the back post, but the shot flashed wide of goal with Sheerin only inches away from a tap in.  
The Lions did not have long to wait for the clinching third goal and as fate would have it, Buchanan again was the one to strike the killer blow.
Gordon's long clearance out of defence looked to be headed toward Holmes on the halfway line, but Buchanan got himself there first, spun his former team mate and raced through on goal before smashing beyond Crawford to secure the points. 
Alloa had one final chance for a consolation goal when Williams picked out the run of Hamilton into the Livingston box, but the half volley flashed wide of the mark as the game ended 3-0. 
This was a bitter blow to the Wasps and a result that sent them back to the foot of the SPFL Championship. They must now look to produce one of their performances of the season if they are to take something from a daunting trip to St Mirren nex

Alloa Athletic: Crawford, McAusland (Williams 66), Reintam, Hill, Hamilton, McManus, Chopra, O'Brien (Holmes 66), Flannigan (Ferns 66), Crawford, Duffy. 
Subs not used: McNeil, Layne, Hetherington, Paun. 

Advertiser sport man of the match: Kyle McAusland