JIM GOODWIN called on his Alloa players to bounce back ahead of their "season defining" month.

The Wasps welcome Ayr United to the Indodrill Stadium on Saturday as they look to recover from their first defeat in six Championship matches to high-flying Ross County.

As well as the game with Ian McCall's men, Alloa welcome relegation rivals Partick Thistle and Falkirk before travelling to Queen of the South.

And sitting four points clear of Thistle, a run of positive results could see the Wasps further strengthen their future in the Championship.

Goodwin told Advertiser Sport: "It's a very tough division and we were pleased with the run we had been on.

"We just have to dust ourselves down from the disappointment and react against Ayr United on Saturday.

"Hopefully we can give a better account of ourselves than we did the last time we played Ayr.

"We've got a run of games now that can be quite defining. The month of February is a really important month where we've got three home games to look forward to."

Meanwhile, Goodwin confirmed the club was done with transfer business in January after he added Livingston's Jack Hamilton on loan until the end of the season.

Hamilton follows Jack Aitchison and Jordan Kirkpatrick in joining the Wasps this month, with Dario Zanatta, Sam Roscoe, and Connor Shields all extending their stays in Clackmannanshire.

Goodwin continued: "The boys I have brought in strengthen the squad and give me more options in the attacking end of the pitch.

"I don't think you can have enough options at the end of the pitch and at the end of the day it is goals that win you games.

"I want people to know that if they go off the boil or have a poor run of games then their position is under threat.

"Nobody should feel comfortable that they are a guaranteed pick every week.

"For a defensive point of view, I am really satisfied with the options that we have. The likes of Jon Robertson, Liam Dick, and Scott Taggart can fill in across the back four if required."

Meanwhile, the gaffer insisted the Wasps had played well in Saturday's defeat to Ross County.

Goals from Declan McManus and Jamie Lindsay either side of half time ended the Wasps' unbeaten run.

The 37-year-old said: "Overall I think we played well on Saturday, but we just couldn't break them down.

"The first goal was a disappointing one from our point of view as we were a bit slow to react and on the second one it was a bit of good fortune from their point of view.

"The goals are definitely avoidable...but I was very satisfied overall with our performance."