Wasps up for the challenge to stay top

Iain Robertson • Published 17 Feb 2010 11:07 0 Comments

ALLOA Athletic manager Allan Maitland has praised his players for producing the results which have sent his team top of Division Two.

The Wasps extended their lead at the summit to five points after back-to-back home victories over Cowdenbeath and East Fife.

Unbeaten in eight in the league, Maitland knows his side must be ready for Saturday's trip to Central Park for what will be their second meeting with the Blue Brazil in less than a fortnight.

He told the Advertiser Sport, "It will be a difficult game away to Cowdenbeath, who will be delighted defender Joe Mbu is available this time around after he missed out on last week's game at Recreation Park.

"There is no doubt that they will be really fired up for this one as they will view it as a great opportunity to close the gap on us at the top."

Mbu is a burly defender who has been a rock for Cowden at the back. The 26-year-old, who has won Scotland junior caps, made an influential return to Danny Lennon's side for the weekend draw at Stenhousemuir, which brought to an end a run of three straight league defeats for the former league leaders.

Alloa drew at Central Park when the sides met back in August and picked up all three points when Lennon's side visited Recreation Park last Tuesday.

The Alloa gaffer insists all games are important at this stage in the campaign but none more so than those against their fellow title challengers.

He continued, "Now we are top, everybody will want to beat us, but there are never any easy games in this league and we will just need to be well prepared and on our game."

The winter postponements have created a congested fixture list for all the sides in Division Two and Maitland hailed his side for bagging seven points from their last three games, played in just eight days.

To reward his players and give them some much needed rest before the trip to Cowdenbeath, the Alloa management team decided there was to be no training on Tuesday night, but the squad are due in again tonight (Thursday) to prepare for the top of the table clash against Cowden.

"I think the players have done magnificently well to get seven points from the last three games, which came in the space of just eight days, and I could not be more pleased with them," Maitland said.

"I gave them Tuesday night off and we will work tonight and hopefully get it right for Saturday."

Games against Cowden have been tight this season but the Alloa manager knows his front line have the capabilty to cause any defence problems.

Maitland said, "When we are playing well we are scoring goals, but we are also scoring goals when we are not playing well and I think that's a big thing. Stuart Noble has scored for three games in a row and looks as though he is on fire again. David Gormley really helped us when he came on against East Fife, he gave us a lot of energy."

Mark Gilhaney and Brown Ferguson are doubts for the game at Central Park.

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