ANDY GRAHAM has said he is excited about the direction in which he hopes to take Alloa Athletic after putting pen to paper on a new contract.

Following their win at Edinburgh City on March 16, the Wasps announced that the popular 40-year-old, who replaced Brian Rice in the dugout in November, had signed a one-year extension to his deal.

After signing for the club in 2016, the centre back has made more than 250 appearances, during which he helped the team win promotion to the Championship in 2018, as well as captaining the club.

He took the reins after Rice departed for top flight Livingston, taking up the position as first team coach, and Graham has since steered Alloa into the League One play-off places.

In February, they secured five wins from five matches during a run of seven victories from eight outings, but have since suffered back-to-back losses at Kelty Hearts last midweek, and at home to Queen of the South on Saturday.

The Wasps, though, sit third in the table, one point and one place ahead of Montrose, and four clear of fifth-placed Cove Rangers, as the battle for places in the Championship play-offs intensifies.

"I'm really pleased to sign another year," Graham told Advertiser Sport.

"Coming into the job mid-season is not an easy thing. It's certainly been a learning curve for me, and I'm really happy that Alloa are going allow me to do that because I'm a young manager.

"I'll make mistakes. I'll make plenty of them, of course I will, just like the players will make mistakes. It's about having that backing and I know the people at Alloa are really good people. I appreciate getting the opportunity to have another year.

"Yeah, of course. I'm a very positive person. I'm always thinking what can we do better? I say that to the players all the time.

"It's not about what you did wrong - what can we do better, as a group? What can I do better as a manager? That's my emphasis.

"Where that takes us? Who knows, but that's my focus as a manager."

Following their loss at Kelty, his dugout counterpart, Michael Tidser, praised the job Graham has done - and is confident the Wasps will be in the play-offs at the end of the season.

"Andy's been magnificent and I had no doubt he'd be great for them because I played with Andy and he loves the game," he said.

"He'll be a great manager - he's doing ever so well. They're a good side, they've got a good squad. I know I say it every week but they've got players on the bench to come on and change games, and they've been about here for a long time.

"They're in those play-offs and I've no doubt they'll go and finish in the play-offs because they're a strong side."