ALLOA skipper Andy Graham reckons his side’s playoff victory has finally banished last year’s heartache.

The defender played a key role as his side finally made good their promise to return to the Championship.

And he reckons going into the playoff final as underdogs against Dumbarton made a huge difference.

Graham told Advertiser Sport: “Last year’s playoff was in our heads before the game started but it was different last time because we were the favourites.

"This year we were going in against a Championship team so we were the underdogs, and sometimes that is the better position to be in.

“The momentum we had going into the playoffs was massive. We won four of our last five and drew the other at Raith, and that made a big difference because we went into all the games feeling like we were going to win.

“I’m delighted to get rid of the memories because it took me a long time to get over last year. It feels good to banish those.”

Goals in the third minute of stoppage time and the fifth minute of extra time salvaged Alloa’s promotion bid and despite leaving it late, Graham reckons the Wasps got what they deserved.

He said: “We certainly left it late but over the two legs, you can’t argue that we didn’t deserve it. The most important thing is we got there in the end.

“I actually think us scoring so late helped us because it really hurt the Dumbarton players after they defended like that over the two games.

"You could sense on the park that there was only going to be one winner after that, and so it proved.

“When you miss the amount of chances we missed over 180 minutes you start to think it’s slipping away from you. We’ve had some good chances and we’ve been unlucky at times.

"Callum Smith hit the post and you start to think it’s not going to be your day. But then Ross Stewart had a go and it took a big deflection in past the keeper.”

As the only part-time team in next season’s Championship, some are already predicting that the Wasps will go down at the first attempt, but the captain insisted they have what it takes to compete in the second tier.

Graham added: “It’s going to be really hard because it’s a tough, tough league. I’ve played in it before. But you want to go up and give it a go.

"The manager allows us to do that with the way we play. We have players who are excellent with the ball so there is no point in us going up and changing the way we play, because that won’t suit the players we have.

“It will be a big summer recruitment-wise, because a lot of the loan players will go back, but I’ve got every confidence that we can go into the Championship and compete.”