Jim Goodwin says he will be delighted if his Alloa side produce a repeat of the display which saw them defeat Peterhead in the Scottish Cup.

The Wasps return to Balmoor for the second time in three weeks, this time on league duty, as they look to keep the pressure on their title rivals at the top of League One.

Goodwin told Advertiser Sport: “We were delighted to beat Peterhead in the cup and we now have a home tie in the next round to look forward to, but the league is our main priority and if you could guarantee me another 1-0 victory up there I would snap your hand off.

"The three points are vital. We are sitting in a good position at the moment and it’s important to keep in touch with Airdrie, Livingston and Brechin. Peterhead are a good side and they showed that in our cup game.

"We are after a similar performance to that game, and I would love to see the same grit and determination. With a little of added quality, hopefully we will be able to go on and win the game.”

The Wasps’ player-manager admitted that although he was slightly frustrated not to be in action on Saturday, with Stranraer instead playing a rearranged cup tie, he feels the break will do his players good before the busy Christmas schedule gets underway.

He said: “The boys and myself would honestly prefer the games to keep coming thick and fast but we have a couple of little knocks, and the break allows those guys some more time to recover from those. It might be a blessing in disguise to be honest.

"It is certainly a good time to let the lads recharge their batteries before we get into the really busy period over Christmas. It’s not a bad thing but we would all prefer a game.”

With just three points separating the top four teams in the division, Goodwin reckons the title race could boil down to whichever team boasts the best defensive record, and revealed his players have been working hard to tighten up at the back.

He added: “It’s very tight up at the top just now. We have had a couple of draws along the way and we were very disappointed to lose the game to Airdrie which allowed them to leapfrog us, but there are going to be a lot of ups and downs between now and the end of the season.

"We have to make sure we are consistent in terms of picking up wins and grinding out some draws which will be important at times as well. The team that goes on to win the league will be the one which is most consistent over the course of the season.

"The clean sheet last week was very pleasing because we have worked hard defensively, and whoever can keep the most clean sheets has a great chance of coming out on top. It’s always a good base to start from.

"We have lots of goals in the team but we have to knuckle down now and keep clean sheets, and I think that will help us in our journey.”