A tale of what could have been for Paul Hartley’s men as they lost out in a six-goal thriller at Starks Park last weekend.

The hosts Raith Rovers ended the match as 4-2 winners but the score line doesn’t even tell half the story of this titanic end-to-end roller coaster that was a treat to watch for the neutral.

The game had everything from goals to flare-ups, penalty shouts to one-touch football with a contender for miss of the season thrown in for good measure.

The home side started the better and immediately went on the offensive through their dangerous wingers Grant Anderson and Joe Cardle.

The first chance of the match fell to Anderson and he felt he had claim to an early penalty when his shot struck the arm of Ben Gordon in the Alloa box but referee Calum Murray had a good view and waved away the appeals.

Cardle then gave Alloa a warning sign of things to come when his trickery down the left wing won Raith their first corner.

The delivery broke to Liam Fox at the edge of the area but the midfielder dragged his effort wide of Scott Bain’s goal.

Alloa looked dangerous on the break through Ryan McCord, Kevin Cawley and Graeme Holmes as the home side continued to search for a way through a resolute Wasps defence in the opening exchanges.

Raith and that man Cardle threatened again with a dangerous free kick into the box but Bain got out to punch clear ahead of the onrushing former Wasps hero Greig Spence.

The Wasps then began to settle into the game themselves and they were almost in behind the rigid home defensive line when McCord looked to have released Holmes in on goal down the right wing but the midfielder could not find the control to keep the chance alive.

That was a sign of things to come for Alloa as they hit Raith on the counter again and this time it produced an excellent opening goal.

Stephen Simmons’ superb forty-yard pass over the top found the home defence napping and Cawley made no mistake as he controlled and finished with aplomb past McGurn to give Alloa the lead against the run of play.

Raith responded well and the visitors’ lead only lasted 12 minutes but the equaliser would come in the most bizarre fashion.

Cardle again tormented the Alloa defence and got the better of Jonathan Tiffoney and Michael Doyle before unleashing a swirling cross into the box.

Ex-Wasps hero Calum Elliot dummied the ball which saw it evade both Gordon and Bain to find its way into the back of the net direct from the cross and restore parity in the game at 1-1.

Alloa responded well to the setback and finished the half the stronger of the two sides with a double chance before the break. Rovers midfielder Liam Fox gave the ball straight to a rampaging Cawley 18-yards out and he slipped a brilliant ball into Andy Kirk but the veteran striker was brilliantly denied by McGurn at full stretch.

McCord then fed that man Cawley again down the right and he breezed past his man before cutting the ball back towards Kirk but Thomson managed to intercept to save the home side and keep the score at 1-1 at the interval.

Raith came out with renewed vigour after the break and a mistake from Jason Marr let in his former team mate Elliot but his goal bound effort was brilliantly blocked by Doyle and cleared to safety.

Grant Murray’s men would not be denied for long, however, as a flowing move involving Cardle and former Wasp hero Kevin Moon, saw Anderson in on goal and the winger made no mistake to finish past Bain from 16-yards.

Hartley urged his troops forward once again and they almost hit back immediately after some great inter-play from McCord, Cawley and Holmes created an opening but the Rovers defence stood firm.

Raith then had another shout for a penalty when a Cardle free kick looked to have struck Simmons on the arm but again the referee waved away the complaints.

Mr Murray would point to the spot only minutes later at the other end when a raiding burst from Daryll Meggatt ended in a trip from Anderson in the box.

McCord stepped up on the hour mark and slotted home the controversial penalty as the home side continued their protests about the award. At 2-2, Alloa looked the more likely of winners and continued to press for another.

Hartley sent on Aberdeen youngster Declan McManus in place of the off-form Tiffoney and the on-loan forward was immediately involved. Simmons released McManus down the left wing and he load the ball off to McCord on the edge of the box but his effort was well saved by McGurn.

The turning point in the match came on 72 minutes when Alloa once again cut open the Raith Rovers defence. McManus beat two men before slipping in Doyle down the right and he fired the ball across the face of goal beyond the keeper to Kirk.

Somehow the striker managed to screw his effort wide from one yard with the goal gaping. It was an astonishing miss that gave the home players and fans a massive lift.

Alloa had two more quick-fire chances though. First, a McCord free kick was dummied cleverly by Cawley to tee up Simmons for the shot from the edge of the area but the former Hearts man couldn’t keep his shot down.

Then Meggatt almost created an opening when McGurn flapped at his cross allowing McManus to hook an effort goal ward but Thomson got the ball off the line for Raith.

Alloa were to rue some golden opportunities to go in front and Raith punished them with a superb goal as a Cardle cross was expertly converted by Elliot with a well-taken diving header past Bain on 79 minutes.

Wasps boss Hartley sent central defender Gordon up front as Alloa chased an equaliser in the closing stages but they were caught short at the back in the dying moments of the match when McCord lost possession and Vaughan released Cardle clear to slot past Bain to seal a 4-2 win for the Fifers.

Alloa Advertiser Man of the Match: Kevin Cawley Alloa Athletic: Bain, Doyle, Meggatt, Gordon, Marr, Simmons, Tiffoney (McManus 62), McCord, Kirk (Salmon 77), Holmes, Cawley. Subs not used: Young, Moore, McLelland, McDowall.

Referee: Calum Murray