STEVEN HETHERINGTON says Alloa have to get their own house in order if they are to avoid relegation this season.

Alloa were defeated 3-1 by Raith Rovers on Saturday, giving them just one point from their last three games despite an improvement in performances.

Asked if the team felt the effect of a mid-week trip to Inverness, Hetherington insisted that was not the case.

He said: "I don't think it's the midweek game or anything like that because that [Raith Rovers game] was pretty similar to the Inverness game.

"We start well, get in front and then we seem to get into a habit of when we do play well and get in front, we drop back and stop doing what we started the game well at.

"Time's running out, there's nine games left and we need to start winning games.

"Andy [Graham] says in the dressing room we can all say we weren't good enough and I think that's true.

"Raith Rovers thoroughly deserved the win but we need to start, when we start well and go a goal up, we need to continue doing what we started the game well at and take it from there and build on it rather than thinking we'll just hold on."

Hetherington says there's no nerves in the squad and believes the team need to continue to do what they do best.

He said: "I don't think it's a nerves thing. I wouldn't say so, I wouldn't like to think so with the players and experience we've got, that's when you need to continue doing what you're doing.

"We just need to continue doing what we're doing well. To go 1-0 up two games in a row and just drop back and sit off, we can't be doing that. You play against good teams, they're going to punish you."

Hetherington admits time's running out but believes Alloa's fate is in their own hands.

He continued: "You look at the next game and see how you can get points from that game, we're going to need a couple of favours between now and the end of the season, but I think we just need to take care of ourselves, get our own house in order and not worry about anybody else.

"There hasn't been a consistency, we haven't given ourselves a chance of staying in games and it's been our own doing.

"We need to start winning games because if we don't it doesn't matter what happens elsewhere."