The bad luck continued for Alloa Athletic after a narrow 2-1 defeat to Queen of the South at the Indodrill Stadium. 

Danny Lennon made two changes to the side that lost narrowly at Morton the previous week. 

Eddie Ferns returned to the starting line up as Michael Duffy dropped to the bench. Connor McManus also returned to the line up as Kyle McAusland dropped to the substitutes bench. Another plus for the Wasps was the return of skipper Dougie Hill from injury and he also took his place on the bench. 

On Halloween night, it was Alloa who came out the traps like a bat out of hell as they opened the scoring with the first attack of the match. 

A quick burst forward saw the ball fall nicely for Graeme Holmes on the edge of the box and he stunned the visitors with a clinical volley into the top corner to give his side the lead inside 35 seconds. 

The game then became very scrappy following the opener as both sides wrestled for possession, when that spell came to an end on 20 minutes, it was the hosts who were on the offensive. Michael Doyle dispossessed Iain Russell and sent Eddie Fern racing away down the right on the counter. He beat his man, cut into the box and squared for the on rushing Robbie Crawford, but the on-loan Rangers star got his connection all wrong and the chance was gone. 

The Wasps had the ball in the net moments later when the ball fell kindly for Mikk Reintam in the box off a Burton O'Brien free kick. The big defender swivelled and found Crawford who slotted beyond a helpless Robbie Thomson, but the big Estonian was adjudged to be offside in the build up. 

Queens enjoyed their first real spell of control and they went close when Mark Millar's free kick almost found its way to Derek Lyle, but Jason Marr was there to intercept with a vital header. 

Alloa stalwart was then substituted after he followed an early booking with a number of consecutive fouls, so Mark Williams was introduced in his place. 

Queens could have levelled right on the interval Millar picked out Gary Oliver on the right wing. The ex-Hearts forward cut inside toward the box, but his shot-come-cross flashed away from goal with no takers. 

It was a horrible case of déjà vu for Alloa from the second half kick off as the visitors returned the favour from the opening period with the equalising goal.

The ball was immediately switched out to Lyle on the left, his cross was flicked on by Heffernan and into the path of Oliver. Andrew McNeil denied him off the first effort from point blank range, but was helpless as the ball broke back to the Doonhamers' forward to slot home for 1-1 at the second attempt.

Alloa responded brilliantly and Marr soon sent Ferns racing in on goal with a clever long diagonal. The speedster then beat his marker to cut in and shoot from just inside the box, but somehow his curling effort came back out off the post. 

McManus did well to gather the rebound and cut back for Crawford, but his shot was wide under good pressure from Chris Higgins. 

The home side were turning the screw as they tried to regain the lead and Holmes was driving his side forward at every opportunity. 

Holmes fed the ball to Ferns then Chopra and McManus did well to work the ball to Crawford, but his shot was just over the top. 

In keeping with their luck at the moment, James Fowler's side were to strike again on 55 minutes as they caught their hosts cold on the counter attack. The long kick out from Thomson found its way to Lyle on the left and his brilliant cross to back post fell for Oliver who smashed home on the volley beyond McNeil. 

This was a real sucker punch for the Wasps who had been the better side to this point, but Danny Lennon immediately went on the offensive as Michael Duffy replaced O'Brien. 

The change seemed to backfire for the home side, however, as the Dumfries outfit carved out two good chances to kill off the game. Firstly, Substitute Ryan Conroy produced a wonder save from McNeil as his 25 yard free kick headed toward the top corner. From the corner, Millar crossed at the second attempt to pick out Lyle free in the six yards box, but the prolific hit man could only blaze over. 

A good period of possession led by the impressive Holmes ended with a snap shot from range from Duffy, but the effort was deflected wide for a corner. 

The resultant corner was cleared only as far as Colin Hamilton, but the full back's effort whizzed past the post. 

Queen's could have ended all hope in the closing stages when both Oliver and then Russell found themselves one on one with the keeper on two occasions, but McNeil came out on top to save his side's fading hopes. 

Alloa had one final push and created two half chances. Holmes did well to escape his marker and pick out Reintam in the box, but the defender's header was wide of the mark.

Duffy then earned himself a free kick as Alloa entered the last chance saloon. Ferns delivery was a good one and fell for McAusland, but the substitute's effort was blocked then scrambled to safety as the final whistle sounded. 

The Wasps now head for Ibrox for a clash with runaway league leaders rangers with them now five points adrift at the foot of the SPFL Championship. 

 

Advertiser sport man of the match: Graeme Holmes

 

Alloa: McNeil, Doyle (Williams 36), Hamilton, Marr, Reintam, O'Brien (Duffy 62), McManus (McAusland 82), Holmes, R.Crawford, Chopra, Ferns.

Subs not used: D.Crawford, Hill, Paun, Hetherington.