Lennon says his Alloa side are ready to battle in SPFL Championship marathon

The Wasps crashed to a 2-1 defeat at home to Queen of the South despite another display that warranted more than the end result.

But The gaffer refuses to get too down beat and insists they always knew it would be tougher than ever this season.

Lennon told advertiser sport: “Once again very disappointed not to be taking any points from the game, which is highly frustrating as it is, points that are going to help you survive in this league, so we are very disappointed in that.

I think I said in my notes prior to the game looking over the first quarter of the season, where we have been in my assessment, and on what was required in the second quarter of the season, just not hit our targets.

“I felt that there were five of those games, in the first quarter, where we only participated in and that’s not good enough so we deserved to come away with nothing playing second best.

Then there’s been other games within that we have competed very well in and you could say we deserved some points. There was three games where we deserved some points and then other games that we have picked up some points and played like winners.

Coming into the second quarter, what has been pleasing is that we are no longer just participating in those games, but we are competing in them and that has to be what we are asking for, as a minimum.”

The former St Mirren boss felt his players were the better team for much of the game last Saturday and that they might have won it with a bit more luck.

But the message he is conveying to both fans and players alike is that their SPFL Championship campaign was always going to be a war of attrition.

Lennon said: “I actually felt that we played better in the second half than in the first so there was a lot of pleasing stuff within that. Certainly within the first nine or ten minutes where they scored their two goals that is where we lost the game. When things are not going your way and you look at everything you may even look at outside influences today, maybe decisions not going your way, but that is what it feels like when you are in the position where we are. On another day, Eddie Ferns strike maybe does not come off the post and go out the way, it maybe bounces off the post and goes another way. It does not fall kindly to our players and these are the thin margins that we keep talking about.

“I have continuously said that it is important that we do start to pick points up, but this season is not a sprint we are still in the marathon part, there is a lot of football still to be played. I am particularly pleased that we are keeping ourselves in the games at this minute. It was a terrific start for us and I don’t know if goals can come too early, but I jokingly asked a fan at the side how long was left after we scored. It was a terrific strike and something we have encouraged the players to do – over the piece we have spoke about where your goals are going to come from and we need them from all quarters. It was terrific for Homer, who he believes doesn’t have that type of thing in his locker, but I know that he has, and it is a wonderful goal and one he will certainly cherish.

Lennon and his men now must shift their focus to the trip to Govan to face league leaders Rangers this weekend and he knows his men are right up for the challenge they will face in Glasgow.

He added: “We need to dust ourselves down from last weekend. We now go to a place next week which is going to be a huge, a huge, challenge for us, but one that we all signed up for. Ibrox is going to be a massive challenge for us, but one that we will certainly be prepared for. This is the type of thing that when you were a wee boy growing up, you had all those dreams and hopes of playing in stadiums like that and trying to fulfil that ambition of going there to compete. I am delighted that over the last few weeks we are continuously competing in games and keeping ourselves in games.

“I class Hibernian and Rangers as the top two with the big budgets and the ones that will be there at the end of the season competing for first and second. As for the other teams – I have continuously said it is what you bring on that day – on our day we will give any of the other seven teams a game. What the other teams do have over us at the minute is a bit of consistency. We have just got to relish the challenge, the points that we have gained – have been picked up have been against bigger teams and we know more about these teams second time around now so hopefully we can nullify what qualities they have and play to our strengths.”