JORDAN KIRKPATRICK reckons the Alloa players were always confident of taking something from their League One clash with Arbroath – even after falling 2-0 behind.

The playmaker believes their instant response to Arbroath’s second was pivotal.

And the St Mirren loanee, who scored twice to win the match for his side, says the Wasps capitalised on the visitors’ heads dropping after they threw away their lead.

Kirkpatrick told Advertiser Sport: “We needed a reaction to going 2-0 down and it’s great that it came so quickly.

"We would have expected it to come a bit later on but the quicker you get a goal back, the more chance you have of getting back into the game so that was obviously a huge positive.

“We always had faith in ourselves to get back into the game and potentially win it.

“Going in at half time level was a real boost. Even when they were 2-0 up I thought we were the better team, and we were the ones creating the chances.

"It would have been harsh if we had gone in behind but the boys did well to bring it back to 2-2.

“At half time we knew they’d be in a bad place after throwing away a two-goal lead so it was really important for us to take the momentum from the end of the first half into the second. We could have won by more in the end.”

For the second successive week, Kirkpatrick’s link-up with fellow St Mirren loan star Ross Stewart saw him find the net, and he revealed that manager Jim Goodwin loves the pair’s understanding on the pitch.

He said: “The gaffer loves me and Ross playing together because we do have that understanding from training together all the time.

"We’ve got that trust and it’s got to the point now where I know instinctively where he’s going to play it. It’s always a bonus when you know the players around you so well.”

Kirkpatrick’s brace was crucial in helping Alloa to victory, taking his tally to four in three games, and he is desperate to continue his hot streak into the Wasps’ remaining games.

He added: “It took a while for me to find my feet when I came in at the start but a lot of the other boys have been scoring as well.

"It’s nice to be on a bit of a scoring run. Hopefully, I can keep it going and we can continue picking up these important wins.”