Wasps bid to keep up pressure in title race

Iain Robertson • Published 20 Jan 2010 15:16 0 Comments

ALLOA Athletic boss Allan Maitland wants all three points at Stenhousemuir to boost the club's title ambitions.

He knows only wins can put pressure on the top two sides Cowdenbeath and Stirling Albion and insists his side must go all out for the victory on Saturday

It will be third time lucky for Alloa if they do win having lost on the two previous occasions the clubs have met in the league this season.

Maitland told the Advertiser Sport, "Stenhousemuir have taken all the points off us this season, and deservedly so. I am expecting a vast improvement from us this time around, though, and we must aim for the three points if we want to challenge for the title."

The gaffer might have won last month's Manager of the Month award but says more of those will be needed before the season's out if the club are to secure promotion.

"It was good to get the award," he said. "But I will need at least another two of them this season if we are to finish at the top."

And the club are looking forward to getting back to league business at Ochilview Park having not played a game in the division since the 2-1 win over Brechin City in early December.

Stenny have been Alloa's bogey team this season inflicting the club's heaviest league defeat with a 4-1 win at the Recs back in November.

And it was the Warriors who ended the Wasps five game unbeaten start to the season - Maitland's men didn't win a game in the next five after that.

Stenny have lost just one of their last four league games and that was away to league leaders Cowdenbeath, and although they were trounced 7-1 by Dunfermline in the Scottish Cup, they were reinstated after the Pars were thrown out of the competition for fielding an ineligible player.

So they are now looking forward to a potentially money spinning tie against Celtic in the next round - if the Glasgow giants get past Morton, which means their players will be going all out to impress manager John Coughlin.

Ex-Alloa assistant manager Coughlin saw his side draw 1-1 at home to Arbroath on Saturday and he will be aiming to build on that by securing a hat-trick of league wins over Alloa when the Wasps make the short trip to Ochilview Park.

But Allan Maitland will be hoping that new signing Bryan Prunty can add to the brace he bagged on his debut in the friendly against Arthurlie last weekend and shoot his side to victory.

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