MOUHAMED NIANG believes Alloa dropped two points on Saturday but insists the team are heading in the right direction.

Niang, on loan from Patrick Thistle, has impressed in recent weeks and put in another solid performance on Saturday against Dumbarton.

Speaking exclusively to Advertiser Sport, he reflected on his recent performances, which seen him named in the SPFL Team of the Week two weeks in a row.

He said: “I feel as if I’m getting fitter game by game, obviously my first few games I hadn’t played 90 minutes for about two months and I had Covid-19 as well so I was really struggling to get up to the speed but I feel as if the last few weeks I’m feeling fit, I’m feeling stronger.

“I probably should have scored [on Saturday]. I’m feeling better but I’m gutted because I feel like we should have won, should have seen the game out. It’s a point, it’s one of these where you look at the end of the season and think it’s a good point.

“It felt like a defeat [in the dressing room], we [were] all very disappointed. I felt in the first half it’s probably the most comfortable we’ve been away from home since I’ve been here. Second half we were a wee bit sloppy but it definitely feels like a defeat but we go again next week and hopefully get the three points against Cove.”

Having won the league with Thistle last season, Niang is keen to do so again but firstly he’s just happy to be playing.

“I’m enjoying it, he continued. “It was important for me coming out on loan and get myself going again, get minutes. I know the league really well and I thought [moving to] Alloa was a no-brainer. It’s a good club, I’m enjoying myself.”

Saturday’s match was overshadowed by manager Barry Ferguson’s post-match discussion with Alloa fans. Asked about the incident, Niang said: “We just want them to get behind us, I feel as if we’re making the right steps forward, I know they’re frustrated with us not winning but I feel as if the past three or four weeks we’ve actually done not too bad, I’m just hoping they get behind the team and support us so we get the three points every week.

“Listen, I’m on loan here but I want to win, I’m a winner, I’ve not came here just for game time, I’ve came here to be successful. I won the league last season [with Partick Thistle] and I know how it feels to do it. I’m not just here to make up the numbers, I’m here to win.

“I’m as upset as every single one of the fans.

“You’re not going to win every game, this is a hard league, it’s probably one of the hardest leagues in Scotland because life and death is right around the corner. It’s a good point away from home but it feels like two points dropped.”