CONOR SAMMON feels Alloa’s performance on Saturday has set the team up nicely for the league beginning this weekend.

Sammon’s goal took the game to penalties and he atoned for his miss from the spot against Ross County by scoring against Dunfermline as the Wasps took the extra point.

Speaking exclusively to Advertiser Sport, Sammon said: “I thought we played really well. I thought it was a really good game of football.

“I really enjoyed it, it’s a really good pitch.

“It was a tough test for us, they’re a good team but I thought we more than held our own. Obviously, we were disappointed to go a goal behind but the character the boys showed, stuck together and created some really good chances.

“It sets us up nicely for the first game of the season next week.”

Sammon has now scored four goals so far this season and says he’s hoping for more.

“As a striker you just love scoring goals and I’m no different,” he continued.

“I know I’ve got a lot more to give and I’ve enjoyed getting on the scoresheet in the League Cup and I’m just looking to take that form into the league and go and score lots of goals this season to help the team have a very successful one.”

Sammon, at 35 years old, has been in football a long time. The veteran has admitted this pre-season has been unusual but certainly enjoyable.

He said: “It’s definitely been different, the way the manager has done it where we’ve trained maybe a couple of sessions then we’ve gone straight into playing lots of pre-season games before the League Cup and I’ve enjoyed it.

"It makes sense – you get your fitness from playing games. The boys, I think, are looking fit, and the manager demands that and we demand that from ourselves so I think that’ll stand us in good stead.”

Sammon admitted the impact Brian Rice has already had on himself and the team was a huge factor in extending his stay at the Indodrill.

He continued: “Ever since the gaffer came in I’ve just really enjoyed it. I was playing a lot more regularly and [it was] just more enjoyable, let’s say.

“We work hard, there’s big demands there but the manager, as a guy, as a person [is] just a very good guy to play for. I get on well with him and enjoy the core group of players that were there last season as well so it was a no brainer for me to sign back again.

“Obviously, we’re disappointed in how we finished up; we had ambitions of finishing a lot higher than we did, but we’re looking to build on the positives that we finished with last season into this campaign and just look to go and enjoy it.

“I’m at a stage in my career where I’m 35 and I still enjoy playing. I feel physically fit, I look after myself and the reason you do it is so you can come and test yourself against good teams week-in, week-out which I’m really looking forward to in the upcoming season.”

Despite a long winless run in the middle of last season, Alloa narrowly missed out on the play-offs and Sammon feels the club are more than equipped to challenge again.

He said: “We know what we’re capable of. Last year we came close after quite a poor start to the season.

“Ever since the manager came in we have been in good form, we have got good results against any team, even the so-called bigger teams.

“We have that expectations on ourselves, as a group we know what we’re capable of and it just comes down to hard work.

“We’ve got good players, we’ve got players who can create chances, people who can score [and] we just need to be ruthless, be nasty and do that other side of the game that grinds out results and builds a successful team.”