IT WAS another frustrating afternoon for Alloa Athletic as they fell to a 2-1 home defeat at the hands of a plucky Airdrie. 

A bitterly disappointing game that saw the Wasps dominated from start to finish, but unable to convert a host of chances with Airdrie keeper Rohan Ferguson producing an inspired display. 

Jack Ross was without first team regulars Jim Goodwin and Andy Graham for the visit of Airdrie. 

The ex-St Mirren midfielder received a two game ban for his red card at Stenhousemuir the previous week, while Graham missed out with illness. 

This meant a reunion between Ben Gordon and Jason Marr at the heart of the Wasps defence. 

Alloa started the game well and heaped on the early pressure. 

Scott Taggart led the early charge forward down the right flank after only two minutes, his cross fell nicely for Iain Flannigan on the edge of the box, but the shot was over the top. 

The Former Dumbarton full back was tormenting Airdrie down the right and it was Taggart again who got beyond his man to cross for Greig Spence, but he was over powered in the box by Daniel Boateng. 

The home side should have gone in front on 13 minutes when Taggart again got the better of Kieran McDonald down the right, picked out Spence in box, but Graeme Holmes strike was off target from the lay off. 

Alloa’s pressure looked to have told on 16 minutes when their high pressing forced Boateng into a short back pass to send Kevin Cawley racing in on the keeper, but the Wasps forward hesitated on the finish, allowing Boateng to get back in recover his error with a goal saving tackle. 

Adam Brown finally got Airdrie up the pitch on 19 minutes, but while his ambitious 20 yard effort flew wide, it was a sign of things to come for the visitors. 

The hosts got forward again soon after and Holmes picked out Flannigan, who wriggled free to curl the shot on goal, but Rohan Ferguson tipped the effort wide brilliantly. 

The visitors struck the opener against the run of play when a brilliant run and cross from Adam Brown picked out Andy Ryan at the back post and he trundled the ball home from close range. 

A dodgy clearance by Airdrie defender Joe Gorman gave the Wasps the chance for an instant response, but as Spence’s knockdown found Flannigan, the shot was deflected wide of the mark. 

The hosts were pitching tents around the Airdrie box at this point and Calum Waters first time cross soon picked out Jon Robertson in the box, but again it was the impressive Ferguson who denied him with the save. 

From the resultant corner, Flannigan’s delivery was powered goal ward by the head of Spence, but again Ferguson blocked on the line. 

Airdrie could have doubled their lead just before the break when they almost hit Alloa with a sucker punch counter. Ryan Conroy’s wide delivery from right was some how headed past by Ryan when it looked easier to score. 

After the interval, the game took much the same pattern as the first. Airdrie were dogged in their defending and looked to hit Alloa on the break, while the Wasps dominated the ball. 

No surprise that it was the hosts who carved out the first opportunity of the half as Ben Gordon recycled a wasted corner to pick out the run of Jason Marr, but the defender couldn’t make enough contact on the stretch and the keeper grabbed the ball. 

The Wasps were to rue the opportunity as the visitors doubled their lead in style on 51 minutes. 

Former Dundee star Conroy ran on to a decent pass by Kevin Schmidt, before unleashing a ferocious drive into the top corner from 20 yards to make it 2-0. 

Alloa to their credit, never let their heads drop and immediately reduced the deficit. A long probing pass from Flannigan sent Spence racing for the ball with the on-rushing keeper, the striker got there first and lobbed the ball up and into the back of the net for 2-1. 

Airdrie should have added a third goal on the counter attack as Marr’s clearance deflected off Ryan to send the striker in on goal, but he was denied by a brilliant point blank save from Neil Parry. 

Jack Ross sent both Jamie Longworth and Luke Donnelly on as the Wasps desperately fought to rescue something from a game they dominated. 

The on-loan Celtic star Donnelly almost had an instant impact as he carved open the Airdrie defence with a brilliant reverse pass to send Spence in on the keeper, but once again it was the inspired Ferguson who came out on top and he then smothered the rebound at the feet of Longworth. 

It was backs to the walls for the visitors in the closing stages, but the Wasps struggled to convert their relentless pressure as the Diamonds bravely held on. 

Alloa sub Ryan Hoggan almost had the worst kind of impact late on when his short back pass sent Brown in on goal, but Parry saved his team mates blushes as he tipped the shot onto the post. 

The Wasps fought on and created the final two chances of the match. Donnelly beat his marker to feed the ball wide for Waters. The cross was met on the volley by Robertson, but again Ferguson was behind it for Airdrie. 

The final chance came from Marr’s long diagonal forward, Spence did well to knock it down into path of Flannigan, but the stinging drive went inches over the cross bar as the visitors held on for the smash and grab victory. 

The defeat sees Alloa drop down to third in the table, but the Wee County side will have to lift themselves quickly as they now face a trip to Wales to take on Bala Town in the Irn Bru Cup. 

Advertiser Man of the Match: Scott Taggart

Alloa Athletic: Parry, Taggart, Waters, Gordon, Marr (Hoggan 80), Holmes, Flannigan, Robertson, Spence, Kirkpatrick (Longworth 53), Cawley (Donnelly 63). Subs not used: McDowall, Wilson, Scullion, Martin.