BRIAN RICE praised his Alloa side for their excellent performance on Saturday but insisted the result is already in the past.

After a quick start by Queen of the South saw them race into a 1-0 lead, Alloa responded through Ross MacIver just before half-time. Second half goals from Daniel Church, George Stanger, Kieran Offord and Adam King ensured a comfortable 5-1 victory for the Wasps.

Speaking to Advertiser Sport, Rice said: “Rather than it being a poor start from us I think it was a really good start by Queen of the South. They scored a good goal from their point of view, a poor one from our point of view.

“For the first 25 minutes they were really good and we were struggling to get to grips with it but then all of a sudden we get a grip of the game and from 20 [or] 25 minutes onwards I thought we were absolutely excellent. We deserved the goal just before half time and that gave us a platform to go on and build in the second half.

“I spoke to them at half time about a couple of little things that we need to do better and second half, well, to score four goals against a team like Queen of the South says it all.

“The second half on Saturday was probably as good as we’re going to get all season. To go and play the way we did, score four goals and create another couple of chances, it was a really good day for us.”

Five goals from five scorers pleased Rice and his side now top the goalscoring chart in League One.

He continued: “It’s great when everyone’s chipping in, we had five different scorers on Saturday. I’ve known all along that there’s goals in this team because I’ve seen it in training.

“I go back to pre-season and I’m reading things [like] we’ve not got goals, we need this or need that and we need strikers. Now, we’re the top scorers in the league with 30 goals. Thirty goals, at this time of the season for Alloa is sensational.

“It’s all down to the players, they work ever so hard during the week. I work them so hard, I don’t slacken up on them, it doesn’t matter what the result was on the Saturday.

“I’ve got my plan and the boys all buy into it, that’s the main thing. I could have all the ideas in the world but the players need to buy into it and win, lose or draw, I know what I’m going to get effort wise.”

Rice continued: “It’s no secret I want to play attacking football, I want to score more goals than the opposition. Let’s not get away from the fact that’s the sole aim: score more than the opposition.

“It’s the responsibility of everyone in the team to score goals. There’s Daniel Church got two in two weeks, George Stanger, who was struggling with injury right through the game,

played on and scored a goal. It’s great that the goals are coming from different areas. It doesn’t matter who scores, just that we score more than the opposition.”

Church’s two goals in a row reflect a good run of form he’s on and Rice hopes he can get even better.

Rice said: “He's certainly different [to the player he was when Rice came in], he’s certainly improved but he can improve again and again. He still makes the same mistakes he’s been making for a wee while and I’ve spoken to him about it, we just need to hope he can eradicate that from his game. He’s scoring goals and he’s creating as well. As long as I see improvement, and he’s definitely improving, so I’m happy with him.”

Alloa’s next opponent is FC Edinburgh, who defeated the Wasps 4-2 earlier this season.

Rice said: “It doesn’t matter who we’re playing, the objective is to go and win and continue the good run of form that we’re on. If you look at the results over the last nine or 10 games it’s a good run, it’s been a tough run – it’s a tough league – and Edinburgh will be a tough nut to crack.

“I’m under no illusions how tough it’ll be, as is every game, and whatever happened earlier in the season happened earlier in the season.

“I just want to make sure we go on Saturday, don’t dwell on [last weekend’s] result. It’s done, it’s dusted, they’ve all had their pat on the back and enjoyed their weekend. Now we get back down to work and we prepare properly for Saturday.”