BRIAN RICE was delighted with his team on Saturday as they delivered a five-star performance against Peterhead.

Conor Sammon scored a double while Bradley Rodden, George Stanger and 17-year-old debutant Luke Rankin also added their names to the scoresheet.

Rice said: "Obviously we got a really good start, we wanted to get a good tempo [in] the first 15-20 minutes, set our stall out.

"To get the early goal was a bonus but I think we really kicked on, played some good stuff.

"We created a lot of chances, I couldn't ask for any more than we got today."

Asked how important it was not to ease up once his side scored their third goal, Rice said: "I say that to them. It only takes one goal to change a match.

"At half-time I said the next goal is really, really important. Put ourselves in their shoes if we were 3-0 down, we'd be saying: 'Get the first goal and we've got a wee chance here'. So, I was trying to emphasize that to them.

"Jim [McInally]'s a good pal of mine and I feel for him when we're at the side of the pitch but I've got to do the best for my team there and I thought we were exceptional."

Sammon scored another two to continue his strong start to the season.

Rice continued: "He's getting the service. The amount of crosses was really good, we've worked hard in the last couple of weeks on the crossing because I felt as though we were getting into good areas and our final ball was letting us down so we've worked really hard about the delivery once we get into those areas.

"Conor feeds off that, he's six foot three [or] six foot four. He's scored, he hit the bar and he's lead the line well. But it's not just about the goals, it's the general play.

"We worked really hard [last] week on getting back to what we're good at and I think we saw that today."

Rodden made the starting line-up and contributed a goal and an assist.

Asked if his efforts vindicated his selection, Rice said: "I think the team we picked today vindicates the starting 11. It's a game-to-game basis; you put yourself in the team [and] you take yourself out the team.

"Sometimes it's tactical that we need to change things but it's a squad. It's not a team, it's a squad we've got here.

"Mark Durnan pulled out in the warm-up, he was down to play. Andy Graham had to step in, we kept a clean sheet.

"Does that mean we change the back four next week or we go to a back five? It depends on who we're playing against and how I see it."

Man of the match on the day was Cameron O'Donnell, who was electric at times and produced some great crosses for his teammates.

Rice said: "Cammy just lacks a wee bit of confidence. I've said to him: 'You're a good player; go and get on the ball and express yourself and make things happen' – because he can do that.

"He needs a wee run and he needs a wee arm around his shoulder to give him that wee buck up but he's got ability. He's got ability, he's got energy and he's got a good left foot. He got his chance today and he took it."

Another player who took his chance was Rankin. The youngster, born in 2004 and a few months shy of his 18th birthday, scored a hat-trick for the U20s on Friday night before scoring his first ever professional league goal on Saturday.

Rice said: "It's fantastic for him, it's something he'll never, ever forget. He'll never, ever forget that as long as he's in football or until he's an old man, he'll always remember his first ever goal.

"It's a great thing to remember. I've brought him in to train with us the last two or three weeks because there's just something about him that I like.

"The way he passes the ball…he's got certain things that I think he needs to improve on but he's got potential and he wants to learn.

"The biggest thing is he wants to learn. And he's first to react when the goalie palms it out. It's a great finish from the kid. I'm delighted with everyone but it's a special, special day for that young lad."

Alloa had lost their previous two matches but Saturday's emphatic performance ended that mini run.

Rice said: "[It] doesn't matter now, it's all about today. We can talk about the two defeats, we can talk about the win before that. All that matters is winning today. That's history.

"My old pal tells me yesterday's history, tomorrow's a mystery. Just concentrate on today and that's how we try and do it.

"I can't do anything about yesterday; I can't do anything about tomorrow until tomorrow comes so let's just get on with it."