IF ANYONE ever needed a sign that Saturday wasn’t Alloa’s day, it came in the dying minutes of the match.

With Raith Rovers 3-1 up and 92 minutes on the clock, Stefan Scougall was fouled and Alloa were rewarded a penalty. Alan Trouten stepped up and, for only the second time in his Alloa career, missed.

Alloa had started the game well and looked to follow up on two encouraging performances. The previous weekend, the team were defeated 2-1 by Dunfermline but should have gotten more from the game.

Last Tuesday they travelled to the highlands and took a point from Inverness with another strong performance.

However, on Saturday the players ran out of steam and Raith Rovers capitalised.

Alloa started with the same line-up as the Inverness game, with Steven Hetherington playing at the left of the five man defence.

The hosts would have the first chance of the match when Liam Dick could only clear a cross into the path of Ross Matthews however Jon Robertson blocked his shot.

Just five minutes later, Alloa scored the first goal of the match. Trouten collected Hetherington’s cross and managed to find Kevin Cawley, who wasn’t closed down quickly enough by the Raith defence.

He had a second to lift his head and float a cross into the path of Innes Cameron, and he made no mistake in powering a header past former Alloa goalkeeper Jamie MacDonald.

Despite Raith having plenty of the ball and delivering dangerous crosses into the box, Alloa were able to hold their lead until half-time. Kai Kennedy, on loan from Rangers, shouted for a penalty following Scott Taggart’s challenge but it fell on deaf ears.

Alloa were given their first warning by the hosts less than 10 minutes into the second half. Brad Spencer headed into the net however a foul was given after Neil Parry was knocked over.

However, the hosts would get back on level terms shortly after. Captain Kyle Benedictus jumped higher than Robertson and Taggart, who struggled to get off the ground, and headed towards goal.

Parry was able to get a strong glove on the header and push it away however the ball bounced in front of Iain Davidson and he was able to volley the ball into the net despite the head of Andy Graham flying towards his boot.

Alloa, like on so many occasions this season, would shoot themselves in the foot and gift the opposition an opportunity.

From a counter-attack, Cameron passed the ball straight to Raith who were able to break forward. When that came to nothing, the striker once again collected the ball near the centre circle.

He was dispossessed by Kieran MacDonald and despite Alloa claiming a foul and Cameron remaining on the floor, Macdonald gave the ball to Kennedy who played a through ball to Regan Hendry.

Hendry’s first touch was a left-footed strike and it was low enough to get past Parry’s outstretched hand to give the hosts the lead for the first time in the match.

On the 90th minute, another mistake would gift the ball to Raith, allow them to break forward and score, sealing the three points and condemning Alloa to another defeat.

Taggart collected the ball in Raith’s half and passed to Robertson who mis-controlled the ball. Hendry’s first-time pass played in substitute Jamie Gullan who drove towards the Alloa goal.

Taggart, backing off to close down the angle for the pass, couldn’t get across quickly enough and Gullan opened his body up then sent Parry the wrong way to put the game to bed.

With Trouten’s penalty miss rounding off a miserable day for the Wasps, time is running out for their Championship survival hopes.

The next five games will be crucial if they are to have any chance of staying in the league for another season. Three of their next four games are at home, beginning with a visit from Inverness.

With eight points between Alloa and Arbroath it is crucial Alloa take as many points as possible, and hope Arbroath’s purple patch ends, to survive.

After their next four games comes what may be a relegation decider against Arbroath. Alloa’s first league win of the season came against Dick Campbell’s men so there’s no reason they can’t do it again.

It is still mathematically possible for Alloa to survive, and there’s no doubting their desire to fight until the last kick of the season. Time is running out, but there’s no time like the present to begin a late survival bid.

ALLOA: Parry, Hetherington, Dick, Graham, Taggart, Robertson, Grant (Buchanan), Scougall, Trouten, Cawley, Cameron. UNUSED SUBS: Wright, Malcolm, Jamieson, Connelly, Thomson, Murray