ALLOA manager Jack Ross says his side's poor first half display was to blame for their 4-1 loss at Greenock Morton last weekend.

The Wasps conceded twice just as they were on the ascendancy at 2-1 and the gaffer felt like they looked the more likely to equalise at that point.

Instead, Morton caught them cold with two clinical breakaway goals and he feels that spell has been typical of how their season has gone.

Ross told Advertiser sport: “The first half I wasn’t happy, I think I have been quite fulsome in my praise, in terms of how the players have performed in the past, but in the first half I think we dipped well below that.

"The players knew that themselves, but strangely enough I thought in the second half we were a lot better, a lot more like themselves. There are always fine margins in football and although they had opportunities, it looked like it was us who were more likely to grab an equaliser than we were to concede at the other end.

“I wasn’t happy with the decision in the part which leads to the third goal. Thereafter, the only thing we can do is learn from it.

"We were a little bit ragged towards the end of the game and we could have conceded more which would have put a harsh reflection on the score line. If we could have got the break at the right time then we could have easily got ourselves in a position to get something from the game but once again we end up with nothing, which at times you just have to accept.”

Alloa struck the post and saw the ball cleared off the line with the game still in the balance and Ross believes that was the key moment where the game was won and lost.

He said: “The save from Mitch Megginson at 2-1 was a crucial part of the game, it was a really good save, because I was right in line with it and Michael Duffy tried to put in the rebound, it was a terrific block from one of their centre half’s. “It was round an important part in the game, we were having a good spell and looking the most likely team at that period to score, but we didn’t, when you don’t it means that the next goal can kill you off.

“On reflection it was an important part in the game, who knows what have happened if that had went in, but in a game in which Morton score four goals they usually deserve to win the football match.”

The Wasps boss reckons that all his men can do now is continue to fight on for the sake of their own pride and he insists they do not have any quit in them.

Ross added: “Nothing today has changed what I have said to the players - It is very easy to play football when things are going well for you but it is much more of a test of character and hopefully our players will have stages in their careers when things are going better for them.

“It is easy to buckle or say it is to hard or just give in, but I don’t think the players are doing that and what we must do is approach every game positively and try and win it, regardless of what the outcome of that is.

“I try and prepare them as best as I can before each game and it is a good test of character for them because the easiest thing human nature dictates is to say this is too difficult but they have not done that and I don’t believe they will.”