MATHEMATICALLY, it’s far from over.

There are currently six points – and three teams – between Alloa and the final promotion play off spot.

With 14 games and 42 points to play for, it is nowhere near over, and thankfully for Alloa their poor form hasn’t coincided with any other teams really creating a sizeable gap.

It would be fair to say Montrose and Airdrie are out of sight. Cove Rangers most definitely are. But the rest are all within touching distance of each other.

Alloa manager Barry Ferguson believes his side have the quality to still make the final promotion play off spot, and he’s probably right. A fully fit and available Alloa squad has a wide range of great players.

However, the longer this winless streak goes on, the more the hope is zapped from an already frustrated fanbase.

By the time Alloa travel to Clyde on January 29 – just the small matter of a visit from Celtic to get through first – it will have been almost three months, 91 days, since Alloa last registered three points in the league. It is simply not good enough.

Saturday saw Queen’s Park visit the Indodrill for the Wasps’ first home match of 2022 and a real opportunity to close a small gap was on offer.

A Charlie Gilmour sized gap was filled by Craig Howie who started alongside Mouhamed Niang and Adam King in midfield.

The first chance of the match fell Alloa’s way but Kevin Cawley, meeting Scott Taggart’s cross with his head on the edge of the box, was always going to have to do something spectacular to beat Calum Ferrie from that distance.

Steven Boyd was to be booked shortly after for an animated chat with referee Alan Muir after being brought down cynically and receiving no free kick.

Boyd can be devastating from the left wing at times, and his ability with both feet is excellent. A long ball by Mark Durnan was controlled first time by Boyd on his weaker left foot, the touch bringing him and the ball inside instantly. He fired a long range effort at goal which was saved, and he was offside anyway, but it was a remarkable touch which deserved more.

Queen’s Park would then go on to take the lead through a completely unavoidable goal from Alloa’s perspective. A long ball forward should have been headed towards David Hutton by Andy Graham. Instead, the veteran let the ball bounce and then couldn’t clear his lines.

Bob McHugh was able to control the ball and lay it into the path of Connor Smith. Smith took one touch to settle himself and then angled an unbelievable effort into the far post, hitting the woodwork and leaving Hutton, rooted to the spot, with no chance.

After the half time whistle the Spiders had a golden opportunity to double their lead with Lee Kilday winning a header from a corner but he couldn’t hit the target.

Minutes later Durnan had a great opportunity himself from a corner, rising high above the rest to make good contact with the ball but could only head it over the bar.

Next it would be Adam King who had an opportunity to equalise. Sneaking into the box he controlled Scott Taggart’s throw and unleashed a volley towards goal but Ferrie was equal to the strike.

Thankfully for Alloa the equaliser wasn’t far away. Some patient build up play that saw Kevin Cawley, Boyd and Craig Howie exchange a few passes before Howie found Daniel Church out wide.

Church delivered a wonderful cross and Euan Henderson headed towards goal, forcing Ferrie into another great save. Cawley was sharp, however, and was on hand to smash in the rebound.

Queen’s should have retaken the lead through Smith again. A great first touch by Tommy Robson saw him drive into the box past Taggart and he cut back to Smith who had an empty net to hit and fired wide.

If Smith has to score his chance, so does King. Another decent bit of play by Alloa saw the ball eventually drop to Taggart, who smashed a shot towards goal. The ball was going well wide of the post however it was into the path of King who stuck a toe out and poked it towards goal. Ferrie once again denied him and then King couldn’t score the rebound.

In the end, it was a point gained. However, Alloa probably should have won, and if they had, would currently be sitting in sixth place, just two points off the play off.

The quality is there, the end product is needed badly. A huge cup tie against Celtic this weekend allows the club a break from league duties. After that is a trip to Clyde. That is a must win. The winless run must end there.

ALLOA: Hutton, Taggart, Graham, Durnan, Church, Howie, King, Niang (Scougall), Cawley, Henderson, Boyd (Sammon). UNUSED: Burt, O’Donnell, Trouten, Armour, Armstrong.