IT was a day to forget for everyone involved with Alloa Athletic as a lethal display from Queen of the South saw them romp to a 3-0 victory at Recreation Park last weekend.

Paul Hartley made two changes to the side that lost to Livingston with Jonathan Tiffoney making his first start of the season to replace James Creaney, who dropped to the bench.

Iain Flannigan made his first competitive start for the club as Willie Robertson took his place among the substitutes.

Alloa started the brighter of the two sides as Flannigan and Ryan McCord took control of the ball early and they combined well to release Michael Doyle on a number of occasions to cause some early discomfort for the visitor’s backline.

It was no surprise then that it was the hosts who created the first opening of the match on 12 minutes.

Graeme Holmes and Kevin Cawley combined brilliantly down the left wing and from the cut back the onrushing Flannigan looked odds-on to score but he couldn’t make a proper connection and fluffed his shot wide.

The Wasps were to pay dearly for the miss when Stephen Simmons was penalised for a hand ball on the right wing 25 yards from Scott Bain’s goal.

Chris Mitchell’s cross was flicked on at the near post by Mark Durnan and met by former Wasps star Iain Russell who slotted past the outstretched Bain to give the Doonhamers the lead.

That man Russell almost it two straight away when Ian McShane skipped past Doyle and picked out the striker at the back post but his header was brilliantly saved by Bain.

Alloa were looking shell-shocked at this point but soon found their feet again to create another gilt-edged chance.

Simmons found Cawley with a brilliant diagonal lofted pass but the striker’s header was well saved by Zander Clark in the QoS goal before Holmes was denied the rebound by the solid tackle of Durnan.

Jim McIntyre’s men then turned up the heat on their hosts as they looked to double their lead before the interval.

Mitchell’s corner was met by a bullet header from Chris Higgins and only another decent save from Bain kept the deficit at 1-0 at the break.

Alloa started the second half on the front foot and should have been level almost immediately through Cawley.

Great inter-play from Simmons and Gordon found Flannigan in space, he threaded a lovely pass through to put Cawley in on goal but the striker tried to square the ball to Holmes instead of shooting and the chance was gone.

The visitors then picked up where they had left off before the interval. First, Mcshane tested Bain from long range but the keeper denied him with a smart save.

Then that man Russell found himself again free in the box but he was thwarted by Bain from close range.

Queens finally struck again on 70 minutes. Bain tried to clear his lines with the ball at his feet but his attempted kick went straight to Derek Young who slipped in the lethal Russell, before the latter skipped round the Wasps keeper and slotted the ball home for a 2-0 lead.

Hartley urged his men forward in search of a way back into the game and they were almost rewarded straight away.

Doyle bombed down the right and his whipping cross was spilled by the keeper straight to Holmes but his shot at the empty net was cleared off the line by Durnan.

Simmons then passed up the chance of the game for the home side as substitute Declan McManus robbed the ball from Durnan in the box and teed up the midfielder eight-yards out but he somehow screwed his shot wide when he should have scored.

Queens then ended the game as a contest minutes later when Carmichael’s through ball split the Wasps defence wide apart and left Gavin Reilly the chance to skip past Daryll Meggatt before slotting past Bain to make it 3-0.

McIntyre’s men weren’t done there and central defender Durnan should have made it four when he put his free header over the bar from six yards from a Mitchell corner, as the Alloa players looked visibly beaten.

Recreation Park was in shock after the quick flurry of goals and dominance from the visitors and the game was all over bar the shouting when Ben Gordon went close with a late chance from 18-yards.

The big defender guided a half volley just over the bar after some brilliant play by Cawley.

This was Alloa’s heaviest defeat of the season so far and one that is a painful reminder of just how tough a task lies ahead of them in the SPFL Championship this season.

Alloa: Bain, Doyle, Tiffoney, Meggatt, Gordon, Simmons, Cawley, McCord (McManus 62), Kirk, Holmes, Flannigan (Ferns 62).

Subs not used: Young Robertson Creaney Salmon McDowall.

QoS: Clark, Mitchell, Holt, Dzierzawski, Durnan, Higgins, McShane (Paton 62), Young, Reilly (Lyle 78), Carmichael, Russell.

Subs not used: Dowie, McGuffie, Slattery, Orsi Advertiser Sport man-of-the-match: Kevin Cawley