ALLOA manager Peter Grant defended his side's squad depth after his threadbare Wasps were brushed aside by Ayr United.

Alan Trouten became the latest casualty in Wee County ranks as he joined Blair Malcolm and Neil Parry on the injury list, meaning Alloa could only name six substitutes.

This included three youngsters who have yet to play a league game and the Wasps were duly punished in their 4-1 reverse to the Honest Men.

It was a marked contrast to this time last year when Alloa's bench – coincidentally in a defeat to Ayr United – included Liam Burt, Connor Shields, and Greig Spence as Adam Brown and Jon Robertson were unused substitutes.

But, despite worries over a potential injury to Liam Dick, Grant insists he is happy with the squad at his disposal.

"We've not got a lack of options," Grant told Advertiser Sport. "I have got to give credit to the young boys who have come in and were on the bench for us.

"They've come into the group and they deserve to be in the side. They have earned that right.

"Obviously losing (Alan) Trouten is a big blow for us as he hasn't been feeling great this week, but he's hoping it is just a viral infection.

"But there are no excuses we have got to go and win the game and it has nothing to do with anything else other than the guys on the pitch didn't do enough in the first half.

"Ayr won comfortably in the first half and all we could do was go and win the second.

"My concern is that in the last two home games we have not competed and that was the full game against Arbroath."

Alloa impressed in the opening ten minutes of their defeat to Ayr, but this proved to be a false dawn when the visitors opened the scoring.

An Alan Forrest penalty was quickly followed-up by former Wasp Sam Roscoe's header to stun the Wee County crowd.

Luke McCowan bagged the third as he slotted the ball beyond Jamie MacDonald's reach before Forrest nodded home a fourth.

O'Hara's second half header was the just rewards for an improved showing, though the game was long gone by then.

Grant said: "It was a terrible first half from the boys but, as I have said before, I don't really see it coming from them.

"They are a fantastic group of players and I said to them at half-time that we know we are a good side, but you have to compete.

"The last game here against Arbroath was similar and I felt it was like a testimonial match.

"Ayr were very good and we actually started the first ten minutes okay but after that the roof came down and it was damage limitations.

"It could have been more to Ayr and in the second half we just said to them we have to compete and try and win the half."

Robertson and Brown were introduced at half-time and did have an impact with Grant singling out the former for praise.

Grant, 54, said: "We made a couple of changes to try and have an impact and it's amazing that I thought a right back made all the difference.

"I have left him out a few weeks but he came on and showed the character you need to win games of football."