Alloa Athletic…2

Livingston…2

ALLOA Athletic held leaders Livingston to a draw at the Indodrill Stadium to keep the gap at the top of the table at eleven points.

The Wasps looked to be on their way to victory when Liam Kelly’s mistake led to Jordan Kirkpatrick’s opener.

But Danny Mullen equalised ten minutes later before former Alloa hero Liam Buchanan put the visitors on course to claim a third victory over their opponents this season.

However, a late strike from Dylan Mackin, making his home debut after arriving on loan from Motherwell, ensured the spoils from an entertaining game were shared.

Player-manager Jim Goodwin made three changes to the side which drew with Albion Rovers last week, with Craig McDowall, Steven Hetherington and Mackin replacing Andrew Wilson, Jamie Longworth and Greig Spence.

And the decision to start Mackin almost paid off inside the opening two minutes, the young striker turning in the box and getting a shot away which was well dealt with by the Livi defence.

Just moments later a golden chance fell the way of the home side, but Stefan McCluskey couldn’t get his header down despite the Lions’ defence failing to pick him up.

It was end-to-end in the opening stages, and Mullen raced clear moments after McCluskey’s chance, only for McDowall to repay his manager’s faith with a fine save.

And his opposite number Kelly was called into action shortly afterwards, keeping out Kirkpatrick’s header after Calum Waters had picked him out with a cross from the left.

Chances were coming thick and fast and one of the best fell to Livingston skipper Sean Crighton. A corner beat everyone except the defender arriving at the back post, but from all of three yards out the captain skied the ball over McDowall’s crossbar.

After an abundance of chances at both ends, the first goal of the afternoon eventually arrived after 25 minutes, and it was a moment to forget for young goalkeeper Kelly.

Kirkpatrick’s speculative effort from all of thirty yards looked easy enough for the keeper to deal with, but he inexplicably let the ball slip through his hands to gift the Wasps the advantage.

That sparked the visitors into life, and Mullen was guilty of wasting a golden chance when Buchanan sent him clear, only for the forward to drag his shot wide with the goal at his mercy, before Nicky Cadden’s free kick was safely gathered by McDowall.

However, their pressure would pay off minutes later. The ball fell to Alan Lithgow on the left, and his cross found Mullen, who despite being the smallest player on the pitch, rose highest to direct a header beyond the helpless McDowall to level the scores.

Alloa almost reclaimed their lead a couple of minutes before half time, Mackin getting a touch on Hetherington’s cross, only to see the ball rebound off the inside of the post and roll along the line before being gathered by the grateful Kelly.

After the interval, the visitors came out firing on all cylinders and turned the game on its head within the first three minutes of the second half.

Crighton delivered a searching cross to the back post and Cadden headed it into the path of Buchanan who made no mistake as he lashed the ball home from close range to continue his good scoring record against his former club.

Having assisted Buchanan’s goal, Cadden almost got on the scoresheet himself, driving a powerful volley just past the far post as Livi looked to put the game beyond Alloa’s reach.

Perhaps understandably given the frenetic nature of the early stages, the game was much quieter as it wore on, with fewer chances. Kevin Cawley went close with a header which sailed just over Kelly’s crossbar, before McDowall produced an excellent save to keep Crighton’s header out.

Despite Livingston’s pressure, Alloa hauled themselves back on level terms with just four minutes remaining. Waters slipped the ball to Mackin on the edge of the box, and the powerful striker worked space for himself before curling an unstoppable shot into the bottom corner.

It was a fine strike but there was no time for the Wasps to dwell on it. As they went in search of a winner, Livi broke clear and substitute Josh Mullin looked certain to score, but Waters got back to make a stunning goal-line clearance and save his team a point.

That point keeps the gap from the Wasps to their title rivals at eleven points, but it wasn’t enough to prevent Airdrie leapfrogging them into second place, something Alloa will be keen to rectify when they take on Queen’s Park in two week’s time.

Alloa Athletic: McDowall, Taggart, Waters, McKeown, Holmes, Cawley(Longworth), Hetherington (Flannigan), Mackin, McCluskey (Spence), Kirkpatrick.