Alloa boss Barry Smith has told his players to forget all about who is in the opposite dugout this weekend.

Paul Hartley makes his return to Recreation Park on Saturday with his new side Dundee as they look to hunt down a third consecutive promotion for the former Wasps boss.

Despite a brave effort, the Wasps left Lanarkshire empty-handed in the 2-1 defeat to Hamilton at New Douglas Park last Saturday, and now the gaffer believes his team need to focus on eliminating the errors that proved costly if they are to get one over on their old boss.

Smith told Advertiser Sport, “Next week will just be another game for Alloa, albeit the return of Paul Hartley with his Dundee side. It is an important game for both sides but it will be treated just as any other game. Next week we need to cut out the errors which cost us dearly against Hamilton and with that effort and commitment, which the players have shown since I’ve come in, that will take us through.

“I don’t think there was much between the teams but we made a couple of mistakes for their goals. At the end we looked the more likely to score and credit to my players who put Hamilton Accies under a lot of pressure.

“I just think a couple of mistakes cost us. I always ask them to pass the ball but we took a couples of chances at the back that we have spoken about them not doing anymore.” The 39-year-old did, however, praised his squad’s fighting spirit after watching them rise up from a 2-0 deficit to give the league leaders a real fright in the closing stages as the pressure of the title run-in began to take its toll on their hosts.

Smith said, “We did extremely well to get back into the game. The players response after going behind was great, they are a great set of boys who worked very hard, as they do in every game and by the end of the game it was us we looked the more likely of the teams to score and credit to the players for that. It was a nervy finish you could feel it in the stadium and it was credit to the players for going and putting that pressure on Hamilton.” Smith revealed he is delighted with the effort of the team and still firmly believes that will be enough to see them earn a place in the SPFL Championship for a second season.

He added, “I thought the players worked extremely hard but it was the case of a couple of mistakes. Yes, we are disappointed to lose the game but I cannot ask more in terms of work rate. We are in a good position in the fact we are four points above Cowdenbeath – but the boys know they will need to work hard to maintain that.”