ALLOA ATHLETIC shot-stopper Neil Parry insists the arrival of rival keeper Craig McDowall at the club can only be a good thing for the team.

The Wasps favourite returned to the club last week and vowed to challenge for the first team gloves, but the man currently in that role is not fazed by the competition and reckons they will only bring out the best in each other.

Parry told Advertiser Sport: “Craig McDowall coming in has been brilliant for me. He has been training with us for a while now and you can tell he is excellent from that. It is good healthy competition for me and that can only be a good thing for the team. We are getting along well and working hard together so I am sure we will push each other in the right way for the good of the team. It is up to the manager now who he chooses as his number one, but I will just keep on working hard, keep doing what I am doing and hopefully that is good enough to get the nod. I thought Craig came in and did well in the second half of the Cowdenbeath game and he was impressive against Dunfermline as well, so it can only be a good thing to have such a talented keeper pushing you.”

Parry was critical of the Central Park surface last weekend and reckon it played its part in the slow tempo of the match, but he believes it was a good test which will prove to be ideal preparation for the challenges that lie ahead in League One next season.

The former Airdrie keeper was delighted to get another vital 45 minutes under his belt, but despite a number of eye catching saves, admits he was disappointed not to get the clean sheet.

He said: ““It was a good test for us against Cowdenbeath, but the game itself was a bit stop start for us. The pitch was probably a bit of a factor in that and to be honest it was pretty disappointing for this time of the season when it should be at its best. I thought we did well to come back in the game.

“We were a little sloppy in possession at times in the first half, but second half we pressed well and got the important win. It was nice get a few decent saves and more of a feel for the action. It would have been nice to get a clean sheet, but it is all about match sharpness and fitness so from that perspective, it was a good workout.

“It was also important for us to get an away win even although it is only pre-season. I would imagine that was the purpose of the game for the gaffer because this surface is so different from our own so some game time on the grass might just be vital for us. We showed as well that we can dig in and grind out a result which may well be crucial in the season ahead.”

The 27-year-old, who enjoyed some giant-killing cup heroics in his time with Albion Rovers, is now eyeing up an extended League Cup run with the Wasps this time around.

Parry added: “I think the gaffer has done brilliant with the players he has brought to the club, but it is now about putting it into practice when the season starts. Obviously, our focus is fully on the cup first and foremost where we will be looking to hit the ground running. The squad is looking good just now, but we have to now get the results to back that up. The League Cup fixtures have worked out in our favour in terms of the travelling so we have to use that to our advantage.

“We have one more warm up game against Berwick coming up so it is important to keep up the momentum we have at the moment heading into the cup action. I don’t see the League Cup as an extension of pre-season at all. I am no stranger to cup runs from my time at Albion Rovers and so I know the positive impact that can have on the rest of your season so we will be looking to make the most of it. As players we certainly won’t be taking it lightly.”