ALLOA Athletic ended their pre-season campaign unbeaten after a 1-0 home win against Berwick Rangers at the Indodrill Stadium. 

Jack Ross returned to the dugout after his holiday and also was boosted by the return of Jon Robertson to the starting lineup. Jim Goodwin started the game in defence with Andy Graham missing. 

The Wasps started the game in charge and dominated possession in the early stages without threatening the visitors goal. 

The hosts did have the first clear sight of goal on two minutes, when Isaac Layne spun his marker well on the edge of the area only to be hauled down for a free kick. Jordan Kirkpatrick took the set piece, but his first effort was into the wall then the follow up was wide of the mark. 

Full back Calum Waters then did well to get down the left hand side to cross for Greig Spence at the back post, but Berwick defender Robert Wilson did enough to put him off with shot going wide. 

The visitors first look at goal came off an uncharacteristic error by Jim Goodwin who was dispossessed on the halfway line by Allan Walker, but Scott Taggart did well to get round and cover then Sheeryn’s follow up was blocked wide. 

Berwick continued to press forward as Jordan Sheeryn causes problems in the box to create room for the shot, but his effort is blocked then Walker’s follow up is blocked on the line by Goodwin. It struck his arm, but the referee judged it as accidental. 

This threat seemed to waken Alloa up again and they were soon back on the front foot. Spence did well to beat his marker then pick out Waters in behind, his cross is missed by everyone in box, but comes through to Taggart who could only fluff his shot well off target. 

Jon Robertson was pulling the strings for Alloa in the middle of the park and seemed to be at the heart of every move forward with some neat passing. 

Alloa did take a deserved lead on 31 minutes and it was a well worked team goal that opened the scoring. A tremendous give and go between Taggart and Holmes saw the full back burst in down the right, Taggart’s cut back was right into the path of Layne who lashed the ball home from 12 yards with a clinical finish. 

The Wasps could have added to their tally before the break when Taggart got down the right to cross for Spence but his effort was wide of the mark. 

As expected, substitutions were the order of the day in the second half and there wasn’t much in the way of chances until the game settled down again after the hour mark. 

Jack Ross sent striker Jamie Longworth on at half time in place of goalscorer Layne and he was immediately involved in the action. 

A well worked move between Kirkpatrick, Longworth and Robertson, saw Spence racing in on the goalkeeper, but the linesman’s flag came to Berwick’s rescue. 

Berwick responded well and produced their best chance of the match when Mackie got down the left to cross, Walker nodded the ball down into the path of Lavery, but Goodwin was there to throw his body in the way of the shot to deflect to safety. 

Craig McDowall replaced Neil Parry in goal for the last 25 minutes of the match as Jack Ross continued to rotate his squad throughout the second half as Kevin Cawley and Iain Flannigan also made their entrance. 

The visitors threatened again on 71 minutes. Kyle Scott’s dangerous diagonal into the box almost gifted Sheeryn with a perfect goalscoring opportunity, but McDowall got out well to thwart the striker. 

The hosts were soon back on the front foot and a terrific through pass by Longworth saw Flannigan racing away down the left, but his run was halted by a cynical foul by Jordan Drew. The referee awarded Alloa the free kick on the angle of the box, Spence struck the kick at goal, but the effort was straight at the keeper. 

Another three changes from the Wasps saw Lewis wilson introduced alongside trialists Ross McKinnon and Pat Scullion. 

It was young Wilson who was immediately involved moments later when he combined well with Flannigan on the left to cross and pick out the run of Cawley, but somehow how the keeper denied the forward with a brilliant point blank save from six yards. 

Alloa introduced young starlet Declan McDonald for the final ten minutes of the match in place of Spence and he certainly made his presence felt in the closing stages. 

He was involved in the final chance of the match as he powered past his marker on the right wing before sending a wicked ball across the face of goal, but there were not takers from his delivery and the follow up shot by Flannigan was high over the bar. 

The game ended 1-0 and while it wasn’t the most exciting affair, the victory does mean the Wasps completed their pre-season campaign unbeaten as they prepare to take their first steps into the competitive action via the BetFred Cup this week. 

Advertiser Sport man of the match: Jon Robertson