ALLOA Athletic were their own worst enemy once again as they crashed to a 3-1 defeat at the hands of relegation rivals St Mirren in Paisley. 

The Wasps started brightly and took the game to their hosts in the early stages and their powerful forward Isaac Layne caused all sorts of problems for the Saints’ back line as he burst through to put an early shot over the top. 

St Mirren didn’t heed the early warning sign and the young hitman soon made a telling contribution to the game on nine minutes.

Layne produced a brilliant mazy run to get into a shooting position in the box, but as he shot Keith Watson slipped and deflected the ball clear with his arm causing the referee to point to the penalty spot.

Layne dusted himself down from a tackle to step up and send the keeper the wrong way from the spot kick giving his side a crucial lead. 

Alex Rae’s side responded well to going behind and were soon off on the offensive.

Good hold play by Lawrence Shankland set up a shooting chance for Stephen Mallan, but Scott Gallacher was equal to the drive. 

A scramble in the Alloa box ensued from a corner soon after. Watson’s header was well blocked by Scott McKenna then a heroic tackle by Dougie Hill deflected the Clarkson follow up wide. 

Jack Ross continued to urge his side forward and new signing Megginson was soon involved on the left as he skipped past his marker and picked out Michael Duffy free at the back post with the cross.

The young Northern Irishman volleyed the ball at goal and produced a terrific save from Jamie Langfield to deny him, but the linesman’s offside flag was already up. 

Relentless pressure from the home side for the next ten minutes eventually resulted in the equalising goal.

Hill slipped as he went to clear the ball inside the Alloa box allowing Watson to dance past Michael Doyle then smash an unstoppable shot past Gallacher for 1-1. 

Alloa could have regained the lead inside 60 seconds when Burton O’Brien’s clever through pass sent Layne racing in on goal, but this time the 20-year-old’s shot was just over the bar. 

The final real chance of the half fell to the home side and it was another moment of controversy for referee Craig Charleston. Clarkson burst through on goal only to be hauled down by keeper Gallacher as he looked to round him.

The referee blew for the free kick right on the edge of the Alloa box, but only gave the Wasps keeper a yellow card. 

From the kick, Mallan’s shot was well saved by Gallacher much to the annoyance of the home support as the visitors held on until the break. 

After the restart, the home side looked to start where they had left off and Mallan sent Gallagher racing in on goal almost the first move of the second period, but Megginson did superbly well to make a last ditch saving tackle to deny the former Rangers trainee. 

Alloa had their first sniff of goal on 50 minutes when great play between Connor McManus and Duffy produced a dangerous ball across goal. Langfield spilled the cutback, but was able to regain possession of the ball before Layne could pounce. 

The home side got their noses in front right on the hour mark, but once again it was an error from the visitors that played a big part. Two shots on the edge on the box were blocked by Hill and then McKenna, but the last one was deflected high into the area.

Hamilton hesitated to clear in the air giving Gallagher the chance to loop the ball past a helpless Gallacher in the Alloa goal for a 2-1 lead. 

The Wasps almost responded instantaneously when O’Brien’s long diagonal send Doyle racing into the Saints’ box, but Langfield got out to bravely gather the ball at his feet. 

Alloa continued to strive for an equaliser and they almost got it when Megginson skinned his marker on the left and picked out Duffy with his cross, but the header was just wide of the mark. 

Next, it the turn of the home side to spurn a good chance as Gallagher wriggled free of Hamilton on the right to pick out Shankland free at the back post, but the on-loan Aberdeen hitman could only head wide. 

There was a bizarre incident on 72 minutes when the Linesman flagged for an offside against Shankland off a miscued clearance by Hamilton sending the home crowd into furious protests. 

Alloa now had the hosts pinned back into the own half as the pressure of a first home win since May began to tell on their nerves. 

Crawford, Megginson and Ferns then combined well to setup a shooting chance for Duffy, but the effort went over the crossbar. 

It was now wave after wave of attacks from the Wee County outfit, but the hosts stood up well to the pressure as Alloa forced a late corner. 

The kick was cleared only as far as Megginson only the halfway line, but as he tried to send a back pass towards Gallacher, he inadvertently sent Mallan through on goal to smash home a clinching third goal and consign the Wasps to defeat. 

There was a double blow for Alloa after the match after manager Jack Ross revealed defender Michael Doyle was leaving to pursue a trial with Irish outfit Cork City.

Influential on-loan Aberdeen defender Scott McKenna is also now likely to return to his parent club as cover after impressing Derek McInnes who watched on from the stand at the Paisley 20/21 Stadium.

This leaves the Wasps boss with a busy 48 hours in store before the close of the transfer window on Monday evening. 

 

Advertiser man of the match: Scott McKenna