Alloa Athletic kept up their good start to the Betfred Cup with 2-0 win at Montrose

Goals from in-form strike duo Greig Spence and Isaac Layne were enough to give Jack Ross' side the points, but the hosts ended the match with nine men after some horrid injury luck late on. 

The home side started the brighter and the lively Graham Webster earned his side a free kick inside the opening minute. Andrew Steeves whipped the long diagonal was aimed at Iain Campbell, but Jason Marr got across to intercept the danger. 

Alloa began to settle into their normal football after a frantic first ten minutes and they soon forced a corner. Calum Waters put the delivery into the box towards Greig Spence, but Ex-Wasp Michael Bolochoweckyj was there to save the days for the hosts. 

It was another set piece that saw Alloa threaten again minutes later. Spence was tripped in the wide area as he tried to hold up play.

Flannigan took the free kick and aimed his delivery towards the head of Andy Graham waiting to pounce at the back post, but this time it was Montrose keeper Allan Fleming who got out to punch clear. 

The Wasps were now well on top and should have opened the scoring on 15 minutes. A terrific through pass by Jon Robertson sent Spence racing in on goal, but keeper Fleming got out to smother his shot then from the rebound, saved again from Isaac Layne’s header on goal. 

Alloa continued to surge forward at will and a great flowing move between Flannigan and Spence, saw the striker tee up Steven Hetherington for a strike on goal, but he couldn’t keep his effort down. 

The home side were enraged not to be awarded a penalty kick on 23 minutes. Marr’s attempted clearance goes straight up into the air inside his own box, giving Masson a clear sight of goal.

Neil Parry rushed out of his goal to take man, ball and everything in between, but the referee simply waved play on to the disgust of the home support. 

The Wasps did have the ball in the back of the net two minutes later, but the goal was disallowed with yet another controversial decision from the officials. 

Flannigan did well to work the ball into the feet of Layne with a clever reverse pass, the powerful  striker then spun his marker to shoot causing the keeper to spill the effort and Spence was there to lash home the rebound. The celebrations were, however, cut short by the Linesman’s flag much to the dismay of Wasps boss Jack Ross. 

The visitors did get the breakthrough on 32 minutes. Good play form Layne helped force a corner for his side. Flannigan took the kick and his delivery picked out an unmarked Spence at the back post and he was left with the simple task of lashing the ball into the back of the net to make it 1-0. 

The concession of the opener seemed to spark a reaction out of the hosts and they pressed well to create the final chance of the first half.

Paul Watson did well to work the ball into the feet of Iain Campbell inside the Alloa box with his back to goal. He then laid the ball off for Graham Webster to rush in and have a strike at goal, but Marr got across to make a brilliant saving tackle. 

Alloa regained their dominant thread right from the restart of the second half and a flowing passing movement between Flannigan, Robertson, Holmes and Spence teed up a shooting chance for Hetherington inside the first minute, but the midfielder’s effort was high over the crossbar. 

The Wasps did not have long to wait for the clinching second goal as it arrived on 50 minutes. 

Holmes and Flannigan combined to work the ball out to Hetherington on the right. He then whipped a delicious ball into the box to the back post where Layne was waiting to convert with a clinical diving header beyond the keeper for 2-0. 

The home side did respond well to losing the second goal and proceeded to create a few decent chances as they searched for a way back into the game. 

The lively Webster did well down the left and his cross eventually found its way to Watson on the edge of the box, but the sting was taken out of his shot by Marr’s block and Parry gathered easily. 

Minutes later, the home side had their best chance of the match as Campbell won his side a dangerous free kick out on the left after some decent hold up play. Watson took the kick and picked out Bolochoweckyj at the back post, but his goal bound header was saved brilliantly by Parry with a super one-handed tip over the top.

Alloa should have made it 3-0 just beyond the hour mark. Flannigan won the ball with a tough tackle on Andrew Steeves to release Layne in down the right, his initial cross well blocked, but Robertson latched onto the rebound. He glided past two players to get to the byline and whip the ball across the face of goal, but Spence was inches away and couldn’t make contact. 

Goal scorer Layne soon made way for Jamie Longworth and the former Stranraer man was immediately involved in the action. 

He combined well with Flannigan with some neat touches by both to eventually lay the ball back for Robertson to shoot, but the midfielder dragged his effort wide. 

Longworth was involved again soon after when his excellent cross field switch found Hetherington is space on the right. The cross was missed by everyone, but eventually came for Flannigan on the edge of the box, but the ferocious drive at goal was always going wide. 

The game was effected badly soon after by a strange turn of misfortune for the hosts. Paul Hegarty made all three changes at once and then not even a minute later Bolochoweckyj had to be helped from the pitch with an ankle injury following a tough collision with Robertson. This meant the home side had to finish with only ten men, but things soon went from bad to worse. 

Defender Chris Hegarty then looked to go over on his ankle leaving substitute Jordan Kirkpatrick clear in on goal. Allan Fleming made a great save to deny him, but Longworth grabbed the rebound. He beat his marker then fired at goal, but somehow put the ball wide when it looked easier to score. 

Hegarty left the pitch on a stretcher, but it was the Wasps who left Links Park with all three points to maintain their 100 percent start to the Betfred Cup.

It was an utterly professional performance from the Wasps, but bigger challenges now lie in wait for Jack Ross and his men with the holders Ross County followed by Raith Rovers in their final two Group D games. 

Advertiser Sport man of the match: Iain Flannigan