IF THERE'S anything Iain Flannigan has learned in more than 200 games in an Alloa jersey, it's to treat the lows in as much the same way he treats the highs. 

The Wasps' longest unbeaten run since the 1970s had certainly taken the Wee County side to cloud nine, only for defeat at the hands of Ayr United to bring the part-timers back down to earth. 

Flannigan had been instrumental during the run and he knows the worst thing his team-mates could do now would be to linger on Saturday's defeat with their Championship safety still on the line. 

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Peter Grant's side travel to Dundee on Tuesday night, before Inverness Caley Thistle come calling to the Recs next weekend. They'll also face crunch fixtures against Partick Thistle and Dunfermline Athletic during an important month. 

Flannigan told Advertiser Sport: "It's a tight league and it is always going to be that way where anyone can beat anyone on their day. 

"It is a case of dusting yourself down and not getting too high or too low. 

"Even when we were on that run, it was always a case of looking at the next game and trying to get a result. 

"The second goal was a great goal and there's not much you can do about that. Maybe you get out and close it down a bit quicker. 

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"The first one we could have defended a lot better collectively and that's what makes it so frustrating. As I say, the first goal in this league is so important. They got it and it gave them something to hang onto."

For Flannigan, the Wasps can hold their heads high despite the defeat as he is firmly of the opinion their performance was actually better than some of the ones which brought points during their long unbeaten run. 

The stand-in skipper, 32, said: It's frustrating because we played pretty well without being able to get that first goal and when they got their noses in front they had something to hold onto. 

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"We have played fairly well and had been on a good run, but played better against Ayr than we have done in some games where we picked up the points within that run. 

"We had good chances but it wasn't to be. 

"Ross Doohan made a lot of good saves. We have to take the positives as we had been on a good run and it was seven games without defeat, which is good going. We need to go again."