Alloa ace Ryan McCord says the loss of manager Barry Smith stunned the dressing room after he resigned following the 1-0 SPFL Championship loss to Dumbarton last weekend.

It was a cruel case of groundhog day for the Wasps, who lost ex-boss Paul Hartley in similar circumstances last season, but the midfield dynamo insists that experience means it will not faze them this time around.

The former Dundee United trainee also revealed that the players still fully believed in Smith’s ability to steer them clear of the relegation zone and that was what made his departure all the more surprising.

McCord told Advertiser sport: “We were all completely shocked by Barry’s exit. The gaffer hadn’t at any point lost the dressing room or any of the boys. We still believed in him, but I guess that is football and we will just have to move on now.

“The problem for us as a group is it’s the same old story every single week. We are losing by one goal - like we did against Dumbarton - in games where we are having the bulk of the play. It’s so frustrating for everyone involved with the club and I guess that has just taken its toll on the gaffer.

“He never let on at any stage before, during or at half time in the match so everyone was stunned when he told us. It might’ve been something he has been pondering for a while, but it was identical to when Paul Hartley left - even the opposition was the same!

“The good thing is we have been in the exact same position last year so we know how to handle it now I guess. I don’t think we need a lift We just need the luck to turn for us.” McCord says the defeat to Ian Murray’s men was the perfect example of how the whole season has gone for them so far and admits it has heightened the frustration in the dressing room.

He said: “The Dumbarton game sums up our season though. We have bombarded them for the majority of the match, but come away with nothing. Rutherford, Layne and Buchanan have all had huge chances to score and if they were at the other end, the ball would end up in the back of our net.

“We haven’t really been battered from anyone this season and thats the most frustrating part. We should already be safe in the league. We still have nine league games left and five of those are at home so we will just rally round Paddy or whoever comes in and make sure we get the points we need to stay up.” The 25-year-old, who put in a man-of-the-match performance in the loss at the Dumbarton Stadium, now believes the upcoming derby-day clash with local rivals Falkirk might just be exactly what they need to turn their season around just like it did last season.

McCord added: “The derby against Falkirk will be the ideal distraction for us. It will be a difficult game because they’re on a good run, but we know we are more than capable of beating them and it was a win over them last season in similar circumstances that was crucial for us then.

“We have ran them close every game this season so hopefully this is the game where our luck will turn.”