Alloa Athletic......................0

Ross County........................2

Scottish League Cup

ALLOA crashed out of the Betfred Cup at the final group stage hurdle after they were overcome by Ross County at the Indodrill Stadium.

The Wasps needed just a point to secure their passage into the last 16 as group winners.

However, despite a determined defensive display, they were unable to cope with a strong County side with bags of Premiership experience.

Callum Morris put the Staggies ahead when he deflected Josh Mullin’s miscued shot beyond Neil Parry, and Harry Paton wrapped the game up in stoppage time.

Needing a win to take their place in the knockout stages, the visitors started brightly and Billy McKay’s shot from the edge of the box was blocked by Wasps skipper Andy Graham.

It was the same outcome minutes later when McKay rounded Parry, only to find Graham blocking his route to goal with a last-ditch clearance.

Alloa were penned in but did carve out the occasional chance, and Alan Trouten’s shot had County keeper Scott Fox worried, but the ball sailed over the crossbar.

For the most part though, it was the visitors who were in the driving seat and Parry was soon forced into action, tipping Michael Gardyne’s shot over the crossbar after he had been played in by Jamie Lindsay.

Gardyne was proving a threat down the left and had another good chance to open the scoring, connecting well when the ball broke to him in the box but sending his effort just wide of the target.

Former Wasps loanee Declan McManus was leading the line for the visitors and sent another shot whistling past the post as County began to turn the screw.

And when the striker did get an effort on target, he found Parry in inspired form, getting down sharply to prevent the ex-Aberdeen man breaking the deadlock.

Alloa began the second half much more brightly and could have taken an unlikely lead when Trouten showed great endeavour to get into a shooting position, but he flashed his shot just wide of Fox’s post.

Parry was called into action again soon afterwards, keeping out McKay’s header after the striker had flicked Gardyne’s header towards goal.

However, there was nothing the goalkeeper could do to prevent the visitors making the breakthrough from their next attack. Having made a good save to deny Lindsay, he could only watch as Mullin’s shot cannoned off Morris and into the back of the net.

On the balance of play it was no more than County deserved and they almost had a second moments later, Parry excelling yet again as he kept out McManus once more.

Gardyne fired wide before Parry saved from McManus yet again, with the Staggies piling the pressure on the Alloa defence.

Greig Spence could have snatched a point for the home side with an acrobatic overhead kick, but his effort was just the wrong side of the post.

And in the dying seconds, County made absolutely sure of their progress when they added their second.

Parry made a superb save to keep out McKay once again, but substitute Harry Paton was on hand to slam home the rebound and seal his side’s passage into the last 16.

In truth the result was a fair one, but Alloa will be able to take confidence from their cup campaign as they get their Championship campaign underway against the same opponents in Dingwall on Saturday.

ALLOA: Parry, Taggart, Dick, Karadachki, Graham, Robertson (Brown), Cawley, Flannigan, Hastie, Trouten, Spence. UNUSED SUBS: Peggie, Goodwin, Hetherington, Henry.