Alloa boss Barry Smith has warned his players they must cut out their errors if they want to survive in the SPFL Championship for another season.

The gaffer’s message came after the Wasps crashed to a 3-1 defeat to Dumbarton at the Bet Butler Stadium and it was a result that saw his side slip into the relegation play off spot.

The Clackmannanshire outfit were their own worst enemies in the match as they gift-wrapped all three goals for their opponents and their disappointed manager reckons they will have to sharpen up at the back.

Smith told Advertiser sport, “There was nothing in the game in the first half, until we gave them a goal, and that changes the way the game was played. We have created chances in the first and second half but if you don’t take them at one end and make mistakes at the other end then it becomes very difficult to win games. “We have gifted them their goals. The first one was a mistake, the second one comes at a set piece where the player was not picked up from, and the third goal we were pushing trying to get back into the game. That said if we want to survive in a difficult league then must take our chances and learn to defend properly.” Smith was forced into an early change when star striker Greig Spence limped off with a hamstring injury and while he praised the efforts of his replacement Liam Buchanan, he hopes his top scorer is not out for too long.

He said, “Although Greig Spence had to come off after only 17 minutes, Liam Buchanan has come on and did well, but obviously Greig has been playing extremely well for us so far this season.

“We can’t afford to lose our players who are playing well but we just have to get on with it. He felt a tightening of his hamstring and asked to come off right away. We will assess the injury at training and take it from there.” The former Dundee boss is urging his side to rediscover their solid defensive display that saw them hold off Rangers two weeks ago when they travel to face near rivals Falkirk this weekend.

Smith added, “Even after that we created chances throughout the game but we never took them and didn’t defend good enough.

“We now must look to get ready for another tough match next Saturday against Falkirk and we will look at it positively and go and make sure we do the right things.”