NEW boy Jim Goodwin reckons the 1-1 draw with SPFL Premiership side Dundee is proof the Wasps are ready for the challenge that lies ahead next season.

The former St Mirren star levelled the match for Alloa Athletic after the returning Michael Duffy had put Paul Hartley's men ahead early on and admits he is delighted to get himself off and running on the scoring front.

The 34-year-old midfielder was so determined to make a good first impression at the Indodrill Stadium that not even referee Craig Charleston could get in his way in a comical collision between the two that saw the referee tackled to the ground, but he was thankful the whistler brushed the incident off in such good spirits.

Goodwin told Advertiser sport: “I honestly couldn't believe the poor fella got in the way. I was just on route to tackle the centre half and then poor Craig Charleston ended up in the wrong place, at the wrong time. I guess it was a good way for me to bond with the fans, but he was great about it to be fair to him and we had a great laugh about it. He is one of the better referees we have and he showed a bit of common sense throughout what was a really competitive game for a friendly.

“It was a good game for me, very competitive and it must have been a decent spectacle for the punters so it can only stand us in good stead. Sometimes in friendlies team can go through the motions, but both teams wanted to win it. The goal was a nice one for me because I don't score many so to get off the mark so quickly for Alloa was a nice feeling.

“I don't want to put us under any unnecessary pressure by saying bold statements about our ambitions, but I don't think it takes a genius to figure out the type of squad that the manager has put together. I think you can see that with the way we have dealt with each challenge so far in pre-season. Each game has been a different type of test for us with Dundee being the toughest one to date, but we are unbeaten still and we have to take a bit of confidence and momentum from that. I have not joined here to mess about though, and I know the lads are the same.”

Goodwin was quick to admit he has been blown away by the professionalism at the Wee County outfit and says it has allowed him to settle in very quickly.

The former Republic of Ireland international is impressed by the amount of young talent Jack Ross has brought to the club over the summer and he believes that a number of them can go onto to play at a higher level in the future.

He said : “Young Isaac up front has impressed me in particular because if he can play the way he has these past few games and do it consistently week in, and week out, then for me he has the world at his feet. That is the message I am trying to give these young lads because if they apply themselves professionally and in the right way then they can go onto bigger and better things. This club is a fantastic platform for any young kid.

“I am absolutely loving it here at Alloa. I must admit I was a wee bit apprehensive at first with the drop from full time to part time, but I cannot speak highly enough of this football club. The lads have been very welcoming and it is run so professionally from top to bottom. I think we are very lucky to have the squad of players we do for next season.

“The likes of Flanny, Homer, Kirkpatrick and then experience of big Andy Graham, I think we have the makings of something special here. It is a great bunch of lads who want to play football in the right way and that comes from the manager telling us to go and express themselves. Obviously, I am not as technically gifted as some of the lads in the squad, but I am happy to get in there and do the dirty work, break things up and then give it to the players who can go and hurt teams so just bring on the competitive stuff now.”

The Wasps finish off their pre-season matches with a final challenge away to Cowdenbeath this weekend, but the veteran midfielder admits all eyes now are fully focused on the start of the competitive action the following week.

Goodwin added: “The 16th of July against Cove Rangers is all we are focusing on. It is the game we all want to be fit for because it's the return to competitive action. The Cowdenbeath game is the final step toward that, but the last thing we want to do is get any injuries. We want to have a full squad of players available. I am really excited for the League Cup. I think it is going to be an exciting competition with some good changes to it.”