FOR the first time this season Alloa recorded consecutive League One wins on Saturday by defeating Airdrieonians 2-1.

Two Euan Henderson goals had the Wasps in cruise control before an uncharacteristic mistake by Alan Trouten allowed Callum Fordyce the opportunity to fire a deflected shot past an excellent David Hutton.

However, Alloa held on and claimed the three points to place themselves four points from the top of the table despite sitting in the bottom half.

After a thoroughly rotated squad was defeated 3-2 by Rangers B last Wednesday, manager Barry Ferguson brought back many of the players who have started the majority of games this season.

Hutton started with Fernandy Mendy and Mark Durnan in front of him, with Scott Taggart at his usual right back berth and Mouhamed Niang a surprise starter at left back.

Craig Howie and Charlie Gilmour sat in front of the defence with Kevin Cawley, Steven Boyd and Stefan Scougall supporting Hearts loanee Henderson.

From the first whistle it appeared the visitors’ tactics would be to pressure Niang, with the first kick aimed towards his side. However, Niang cleared well and Airdrie didn’t seem to target him any further than that.

In truth the first 45 minutes struggled to gain any real momentum with the referee continuously halting the game for persistent fouls.

However, with neither side having any clear-cut chances, it would be the Wasps who opened the scoring.

Hutton’s long ball was touched on by Scougall into the path of Henderson. With no Airdrie players closing the striker down, he was able to turn and drive towards goal.

Carrying the ball over to the left of the pitch, Airdrie goalkeeper Max Currie found himself gravitating towards the ball and Henderson was able to fire it past him into the net.

From that point on the chances would fall Alloa’s way but no efforts were good enough to double the lead.

Boyd turned his man before launching a long-range effort towards goal but Currie caught it easily; he would then hit the target again with a free kick which forced a terrific save by the Diamonds’ keeper.

Alloa would take the lead into the interval and it wouldn’t be long after the restart before they doubled their lead.

A long ball forward by Taggart was knocked back by an Airdrie head but only into the path of Boyd, who headed it into Henderson’s direction.

Once again the defenders simply didn’t do enough and allowed him to float into the box before cutting inside onto his left foot and slotting it under a diving Currie.

With Alloa two goals to the good, Airdrie began to throw everything at the Wasps in the hope of getting back into the game.

Craig Watson powered a header towards goal from what must have been five yards out and Hutton dived to his left so paw it off the line.

Alloa would be next to have a decent effort at goal, with Taggart drilling a ball across the box and Cawley meeting it at the front post. He met it with his head but watched it bounce off the post.

The Wasps should have put the game to bed following a good counter attack but unfortunately the end product was poor. A brilliant piece of skill by Niang allowed him to find Gilmour who gave the ball to Cawley. Breaking towards the Airdrie defence he waited for Taggart to overlap before slotting the ball in front of him but Taggart could only blast the ball over the bar.

Alloa’s first substitution saw Trouten replace Boyd as the game neared its finale but it would be him who allowed the visitors a glimmer of hope.

Under absolutely no pressure Trouten – inside his own box and instead of clearing the ball up the pitch – attempted a five-yard pass to Gilmour but Fordyce was able to intercept what was a terrible pass. His shot took a deflection and rolled past a helpless Hutton to give Airdrie a chance to steal a point.

“It was very unlike Trouts,” Ferguson said after the match. “Listen, he’s an intelligent football player, he should know what to do: it goes 50 [or] 60 yards up the pitch.”

Thankfully, Alloa were able to hold on and seal the three points with Conor Sammon coming on to hold the ball up further up the pitch for the dying minutes.

After last week’s victory over Queen’s Park, the league table now looks a lot healthier despite Alloa sitting sixth.

The Wasps travel to Falkirk this Saturday and will be looking for a result similar to when the two sides met earlier this season when Henderson and Sammon sealed the three points.

ALLOA: Hutton, Taggart, Mendy, Durnan, Niang, Gilmour, Howie, Boyd (Trouten), Cawley, Scougall, Henderson (Sammon). UNUSED: Burt, King, Church, O’Donnell, Armour