ALLOA boss Jim Goodwin says his players showed great character to recover from going behind early to beat league leaders Ayr United.

The Wasps were the victims of a wonder goal from Ayr hitman Lawrence Shankland inside ten minutes, but strikes from Jamie McCart and Ross Stewart swung the game in their favour.

The manager reckons the victory was deserved, especially after Alloa conceded late goals in both of the sides’ previous meetings this season.

Goodwin told Advertiser Sport: “In the first half I thought it was a very good game. The character we showed from going behind was brilliant.

"I thought we were the better team, but then they had a couple of attacks where they looked dangerous. The reaction to going behind was really pleasing.

“In the second half we were under the cosh for the majority of the time and Ayr might feel a bit aggrieved not to have nicked an equaliser, but for the way my players went about it I think they deserved the win.

“We knew what we had to do to win the game and we wanted to get at them. We knew we had players in the forward areas who could hurt them and that showed in the first half.

"They’re a great bunch of boys, they really are. They never throw the towel in and keep the energy levels up right to the end.

“I’m really, really pleased for them because we got stung with a late winner at our place and a late equaliser last time we were down at Ayr.

"We may have rode our luck in the second half, but given the [bad] luck we had in the previous two games I think we deserved the win."

Goodwin added: "We were playing against a full-time team, but our energy levels and fitness were absolutely brilliant.

"That’s all credit to the players because we only see them on a Tuesday and Thursday night.

"It’s their responsibility to keep on top of that during the week. They are a great bunch of professionals.”

The Wasps’ win meant they climbed back into the League One playoff places, but Goodwin insisted that it is too early to be looking at the table at this stage of the season.

He said: “Whether we’re sitting third or sixth, I don’t really care about the league table right now. It’s going to go right to the wire, and as Brechin showed last year that nobody is out of it at this stage. We just need to concentrate on our own job because that’s all we can control.

“If we can produce more performances like against Ayr we have a chance.

Defensively we were brilliant, as we were last week against Raith Rovers. We are starting to look like a team again and we’re starting to put a run of results together which is really pleasing.”