League One

Albion Rovers…1 

Alloa Athletic…1 

ALLOA were held to a draw by a stuffy Albion Rovers side on what was a miserable afternoon at Cliftonhill. 

Scott Taggart put the Wasps ahead in the first half but one of Albion’s two Ross Stewarts levelled the scores after half time. 

Jim Goodwin handed teenage goalkeeper Andrew Wilson his full debut in place of the injured Neil Parry, with Stefan McCluskey also coming in to make his first start for the club, while new loan signing Dylan Mackin had to settle for a place on the bench after joining from Motherwell. 

The home side made the stronger start and should have taken the lead with just four minutes on the clock, Ross Turnbull’s goalbound effort deflecting wide off the back of a team-mate. 

Alloa raced up the other end and Taggart picked out the unmarked Jordan Kirkpatrick with a fine floated cross, but the midfielder couldn’t direct his header on target. 

The Wasps began to find a foothold in the game and McCluskey tested keeper Ross Stewart with a shot from the edge of the box after he had cut in from the left. 

Kevin Cawley came close to opening the scoring in stunning fashion after a quarter of an hour. A corner was headed to the edge of the box, and the long-serving midfield man struck it sweetly on the volley. For a moment it looked to be heading in but the hosts were relieved to see the ball shave the top of the crossbar. 

Kirkpatrick then forced Stewart into a smart save, the keeper getting down sharply to keep out a free kick which had been destined for the bottom corner. 

Rovers had a good five-minute spell of pressure with half an hour played but they couldn’t take advantage and they were punished for their profligacy ten minutes before the interval. There didn’t seem to be too much on when Taggart picked the ball up midway inside the Albion half, but the full-back had a go from distance and his speculative shot beat Stewart, who seemed to be unsighted. 

And just four minutes later it could have been two. The impressive McCluskey beat Alan Reid and cut the ball back for Jamie Longworth, but the former Stranraer man couldn’t direct the ball on target from a difficult angle. 

The home side came out for the second half in search of an equaliser, and Kyle Turnbull went close with a chipped effort that sailed a foot or so over Wilson’s crossbar. 

The young keeper was showing no sign of nerves on his senior bow and commanded his area well, confidently clearing the danger with a good punch under pressure shortly after Turnbull’s miss. 

And Rovers’ frustration grew moments later when Ross Davidson thundered a shot off the post after Stewart’s initial effort had been blocked by a combination of several bodies in blue shirts throwing themselves in front of it. 

Albion were throwing everything at Alloa by this point but had been wasteful in front of goal, and they were almost made to pay when McCluskey played in Steven Hetherington, but the substitute blazed his shot high and wide. 

With 20 minutes remaining, the hosts’ persistence finally paid off. Theo Archibald found himself in acres of space out on the left and spotted the run of Stewart. His chipped cross was inch perfect and Stewart, who had managed to evade any sort of marking, clipped the ball beyond the helpless Wilson to level the scores. 

On the balance of play Rovers deserved their equaliser, and the goal seemed to give them confidence to go in search of another, Paul Willis’ free kick being kept out by the strong hand of Wilson. 

And the keeper was called into action again a minute later, this time diving to keep out Archibald’s goalbound shot. The winger was proving a thorn in Alloa’s side and he went close again shortly after, lashing an effort over the bar. 

Stewart was also proving to be a handful and he did well to find space after cutting inside onto his right foot, only to see his curling shot graze the outside of the post on its way past, before he headed a good opportunity over the crossbar with only a couple of minutes remaining. 

Mackin was given his opportunity from the bench and he almost marked his debut in style with a chance right at the death, but he was unable to keep his header down as he stretched to reach Kirkpatrick’s corner. 

That was the final act of a frustrating afternoon for the Wasps, who still occupy second place but now lie eleven points adrift of leaders Livingston ahead of next week’s top-of-the-table clash. 

Alloa Athletic: Wilson, Taggart, Waters, McKeown, Graham, Holmes (Robertson), Cawley, McCluskey (Mackin), Spence, Kirkpatrick, Longworth (Hetherington). Not used: Marr, Flannigan, Hoggan, Hynd.