STEVEN HETHERINGTON lamented Alloa's lack of fight as they lost 1-0 to rivals Stirling Albion over the weekend.

Hetherington returned to captain the squad but found that they couldn't get going until far too late into the match.

David McKay was sent off before a Dale Carrick penalty sealed defeat for the Wasps, with Alloa second best all afternoon.

"It was massively frustrating," Hetherington told Advertiser Sport. "Not just how the game finished in terms of the scoreline but from an Alloa perspective, I don't think we played the way we work on during the week.

"We didn't work to how we want to score goals, how we want to keep them out, in and out of possession, I don't think we did enough to give us a chance to try and win the game.

"The game was filtering out, ten minutes left before they scored and we've helped them get behind us and not picking up a second ball.

"It was the horrible bits of the game that you need to do that we didn't get done and that has cost us in the end.

"First and foremost, it's very frustrating for ourselves in the way we've played and then the scoreline is an extra kick in the teeth."

Alloa was largely quiet in front of goal, the most notable chances being a free header for McKay and a close range effort from Donnelly right at the end.

McKay headed over the bar and Stirling's Blair Currie got hands to Donnelly's shot. Similarly, Stirling didn't have too many chances either, a relatively quiet afternoon for PJ Morrison, who could do nothing to stop the penalty.

"I don't think we got into the game at all," Hetherington added. "Sometimes, we looked okay from possession and then we had a few little half chances where we looked like we could get in behind.

"I can't think of many chances we created to put them under pressure and give us a lift and get going all afternoon and that has cost us in the end."

Alloa will be looking respond straight away as the head to Fife to take on Kelty Hearts this Saturday.

"We'll go away and work on what we believe is right for us," Hetherington said. "We do it every Tuesday and Thursday and the work ethic is there for everybody.

"The boys come in and work hard through the week. We've turned up today and we've just not been at it.

"The manager tells us before the game that all games are going to be tough, no matter if it's a team just promoted or a team coming down.

"If you don't do the horrible bits first and foremost – tracking runners, picking up second balls, putting tackles in and making it difficult for the opposition – you'll get punished.

"We'll go away and think about it then we'll turn up on Tuesday and look towards putting things right at Kelty."