It is the season to be jolly for Alloa Athletic and their fans after they saw off Greenock Morton in wet and wild conditions at Recreation Park to move into the playoff positions last weekend.

Paul Hartley’s men won 2-0 against the Championship strugglers with new Ton boss Kenny shiels watching from the stands as a solid defensive display helped Alloa grab all three points and leapfrog Falkirk into fourth place.

The Wasps made two changes to the starting eleven from the side that beat leaders Hamilton the previous week - top scorer Andy Kirk returned from the start in place of captain Darren Young while Jonathan Tiffoney replaced the injured Graeme Holmes.

The game was a bit of a non-event for the opening fifteen minutes as Recreation Park was lashed with swirling wind and rain but it was the visitors who had the first chance of the match.

Attacker Dougie Imrie wriggled free on the left hand side and his cross-come-shot had to be tipped over by the alert Scott Bain in the Alloa goal.

The home side soon responded through their creative duo as Kevin Cawley and Ryan Mccord combined to play Michael Doyle in down the right. He burst forward with pace but his cross was whipped goalward by the wind and cannoned back out off the crossbar to safety.

A succession of corners from the visitors had their hosts pinned in for a spell but some heroic defending from central pair Jason Marr and Ben Gordon saw them stand up well to the danger.

The home fans were on their feet shortly after as Alloa broke forward again.

This time a McCord free kick was headed into the box by Daryll Meggatt and the ball dropped to the feet of Stephen Simmons.

He touched the ball clear of the incoming defender Peciar who then collided with the Wasps midfielder but the referee waved away the penalty claims to the disappointment of the Recreation Park faithful.

Ton striker Imrie almost immediately silenced the crowd when he went close with a half volley from a corner.

The Wasps then had the ball in the back of the net when Cawley played Kirk in on goal to score but the fans were again denied by the officials as the strike was ruled out for offside by the referee’s assistant.

The men in black and gold did not have long to wait, however, as that man Kirk got a golden chance right on the stroke of half time.

Morton keeper Caraux spilled a ferocious 25 yard strike from Cawley as the ball skidded off the surface and Kirk made no mistake from the rebound just six yards out to clinch his 6th goal of the season and give his side a 1-0 half time lead.

After the interval, with the strong wind and rain in their faces, Hartley’s troops had to stand up to a lot of pressure as the visitors searched for an equaliser but the defensive line was once again in inspired form to stand up to the threat.

Ton Midfielder Bachirou flashed a speculative effort wide from some 35 yards just past the hour mark but again it was Alloa who were creating the clear cut chances.

Terrific hold-up play from Kirk allowed him switch play to Doyle who in turn fed in Tiffoney down the right.

The former Ayr United man whipped in a wicked looking cross that just evaded an onrushing Cawley at the back post.

Greenock Morton were enjoying the lions’ share of possession now but the introduction of the speedy winger Eddie Ferns meant that the Clackmannanshire outfit were able to counter attack at will.

The change almost paid off straight away when a precise pass from Cawley sent Ferns racing through the middle but he somehow managed to drag his shot wide with only the keeper to beat. Morton tried to push forward but again Hartley’s men caught them on the counter.

Meggatt burst out of defence with a great run down the left and his cross was met by Kirk six yards out but the header was straight at Caraux.

Ferns had Morton on the back foot again moments later when a mazy run down the right allowed him to cut back to Cawley in the box. He spun his marker and fed Tiffoney on the edge of the area but he lost his footing at the vital moment and the chance was gone.

Hartley then threw on on-loan Aberdeen youngster Declan McManus with just over five minutes remaining and it was he who finally put the game to bed for the hosts.

Brilliant work in the defensive third from Simmons allowed Tiffoney to nick possession from Bachirou. He fed in Ferns down the right and a classy turn away from his marker saw him race clear of the Morton defence and square to McManus in the box.

The young forward neatly beat his defender and produced a composed finish to send the home crowd into delirium.

The Wasps now head into a crucial showdown with high fliers Dundee next weekend at Recreation Park where another win could possibly see them go second.

Alloa Athletic: Bain, Doyle, Meggatt, Gordon, Marr, Simmons, Cawley, McCord (Gemmell 88), Kirk (McManus 83), Robertson (Ferns 73), Tiffoney. Subs not used: Young, Creaney, McDowall.

Greenock Morton: Caraux, Taggart, Fitzpatrick, Habai (McNeil 70), Peciar, Reid, Nicolson (McKee 78), Bachirou, Novo (Campbell 69), Stirling, Imrie.

Subs Not used: Gaston, McLaughlin, Hands, Russell.

ADVERTISER MAN OF THE MATCH: ANDY KIRK