BARRY FERGUSON says he can’t work out Alloa’s lack of consistency as he watched his side crumble in the second half against Falkirk.

After Saturday’s victory at Peterhead, the Wasps had a real chance to close the gap on Falkirk to one point but weren’t able to do so.

Second half goals from Jaze Kabia, Craig McGuffie and Anton Dowds saw the Bairns increase the gap between the two sides to seven points.

Ferguson’s side had more than enough opportunities in the first half but didn’t manage to convert any. Within minutes of the restart Falkirk opened the scoring and doubled their lead shortly after.

Ferguson said: “First half couldn’t ask for anymore. Dominated the game, should have come in a couple of goals up but that happens in football.

“And then [in] the second half we’re a totally different team. They score within five minutes and then we feel sorry for ourselves so it’s a Jekyll and Hyde performance.

“[In the] first half I can’t ask for any more; we closed them down, we created a number of opportunities and we didn’t take them. Then, the second half, I don’t know whether they feel sorry for themselves.

“I said to them at half time we’ve got to continue doing what we’re doing because we had a game plan. It worked in the first half but we never executed that [in the second half].”

Alloa were woeful in the first half against Clyde and better in the second half. The Falkirk performance was the opposite and the manager is stumped as to why the team can’t maintain a high level for 90 minutes.

“I ask them to get that consistency,” Ferguson said. “It’s…I don’t know. I can’t put my finger on it. The game on Saturday [1-0 victory against Peterhead], it wasn’t a great football game but I can’t fault their work rate.

“It’s just [about] sticking to what we’re good at. When we press at pace and attack at pace we’re a different team.”

The more opportunities Alloa missed the more there was a feeling that Falkirk would eventually pounce.

Ferguson said: “It’s always in the back of your mind. I’ll be honest, I walked in at half time thinking we had four or five real good chances so I said to them they can’t feel sorry for themselves.

“But it’s always in the back of your mind when you dominate a game and create so many chances and don’t take them. They had the first chance of the second half and it flies into the back of the net.”

Despite now sitting nine points off the final play-off spot, Ferguson said that is still the aim.

He said: “You’ve got to have aspirations to still try and get in the play-offs, we’ll still try and do that. [I’m] still trying to add a couple of players as well.

“Lost out on a couple over the last few days which is not ideal but we’ll still try to get into the play-offs.”

Ferguson continued: “I felt confident before the game, the way we were set up, I’ve not seen them since Saturday but we spoke about the way we wanted to play. In the first half I felt at some stage we were going to score but we just weren’t ruthless enough but that’s not just on the forwards, that’s everywhere, that’s the full team.

“Disappointed not to score a few goals in the first half and disappointed in the second half because we weren’t at the same levels.”

Saturday sees East Fife visit the Indodrill and the Wasps need three points.

“Every game’s a must win,” Ferguson said. “That’s the way I’ve always approached football. Doesn’t matter if it’s the first game of the season or the last game of the season. Every game’s a must win.”