Alloa hero Graeme Holmes believes his side’s togetherness will give them an edge going into the Petrofac Training Cup Final.

The Wasps take on relegation rivals Livingston in Sunday’s showpiece in Perth as both sides take a break from the battle to avoid dropping out of the Championship.

And the 31-year-old thinks the fact that a large group of the squad have played together for several years can only be a good thing.

Holmes told Advertiser sport: “There’s a group of seven of us who have been here for four years now and it’s great that we’ve experienced all these highs so far together. Hopefully we’ve got another one to look forward to on Sunday, and if we manage to stay in the league it will be fantastic. The experience of winning the playoff final will be beneficial as well. It’s a big game with a big-game atmosphere. Although the playoff games are over two legs, it will be similar and it will have a cup-tie atmosphere, so it might be an advantage. But anything can happen on the day, it’s a one-off and there’s plenty to look forward to.” The former Dundee United trainee is proud of the squad’s team spirit as they prepare for the clash at McDiarmid Park.

Holmes said: “The team spirit is great at the moment. It’s been a hard season. Playing against Hearts, Hibs and Rangers, we always knew it was going to be harder to pick up points in the league, but the spirit and morale are great. The boys are having a laugh and working hard and I don’t think anybody can question the spirit here. It’s been the same since I’ve been at the club, which is four years now.” Holmes says getting the chance to play in a cup final is no less than he and his teammates deserve after their efforts throughout the season.

He added: “Getting to a cup final is a great reward for the boys for their hard work during the season, especially after beating Rangers in the semi final. It’s massive for a club like Alloa to be getting to the final. It’s not often that you get to play in a cup final nowadays so it should be brilliant. It’s going to be a great day out. The boys are always keen to win games and make sure we’re safe in the league, so the chance to play in a final is welcomed. It’s going to be a great occasion, and hopefully we can win it and take that form into the league as well.”