Forfar Athletic.........0

Alloa Athletic..........1

Scottish League ONe

TEN-MAN Alloa held on for the victory which confirms their place in the playoffs on a tense afternoon in Forfar.

Full-back Callum Crane found the net with 15 minutes gone, and that early goal proved enough for the Wasps, despite a late red card being shown to Jamie McCart.

Manager Jim Goodwin was forced to alter his starting line-up with Scott Taggart missing from the squad for the first time in his Wasps career through suspension. Crane returned from injury which meant Jon Robertson deputised at right-back, while Garry Fleming and Kevin Cawley also came into the side in place of youngsters Callum Smith and PJ Crossan.

Alloa started well and wasted no time getting their noses in front as Crane linked up well with Jordan Kirkpatrick and Ross Stewart before curling a terrific first-time effort into the top corner with his weaker right foot.

Forfar, looking for a result which would save them from relegation, responded immediately and both Dylan Easton and Josh Peters fired wide from distance in the following moments, before Dale Hilson warmed the gloves of Wasps custodian Neil Parry.

But the visitors regained the upper hand and could have doubled their lead just before half time when Iain Flannigan forced Marc McCallum into a smart stop.

Alloa were on the front foot again at the start of the second half and McCallum had to be on his toes again, this time keeping out an effort from Stewart five minutes after the break.

The keeper was helpless when Kirkpatrick raced onto a long ball from Parry, but the St Mirren loanee couldn’t quite keep his lob down, sending it onto the roof of the net, while another vicious strike fizzed just over the bar.

In the fifth minute of stoppage time, Celtic loanee McCart was given his marching orders for lashing out at Easton after the pair had tangled on the ground.

However, in the seconds that remained the visitors were able to see the game out fairly comfortably and held on for the three points which made sure of their playoff place.

ALLOA: Parry, Robertson, Crane, Graham, McCart, Fleming (Crossan), Cawley (Smith), Hetherington, Stewart (Renton), Kirkpatrick, Flannigan. UNUSED SUBS: Meggatt, Goodwin, Wilson.