STEVEN HETHERINGTON insists that being the bookies’ favourites for relegation doesn’t affect Alloa – and backed them to spring a surprise in the second tier.

Hetherington and his team-mates are the only part-time team in the division and have been tipped by many to make an immediate return to League One.

However the midfielder, who was a member of the Wasps’ squad last time they were in the Championship, says they are not there to make up the numbers.

Hetherington told Advertiser Sport: “Even before the fixtures came out we said we are not just in this division to take part and go back down. We’re here to stay and we need to use what we’ve got against the teams we come up against to try and get something from the game.

“I was here last time we were in the Championship so I know what to expect.

"It’s going to be tough but even though people are not expecting us to do well, we’ve got to go into games with the confidence that we can show what we’re all about.

“We have just got to go about our business with no fear. We know we are going up against some very good teams.

“Being written off doesn’t bother me at all. I don’t really take notice of what people are saying because at the end of the day, all we can do is turn up on Saturday and transfer what we’ve been working on all week onto the pitch.

“If we do what we’re good at I’m sure we’ll be fine.”

The Wasps could not have asked for a tougher start to their spell in the second tier as they travelled to title favourites Ross County.

Despite suffering late heartbreak as the Staggies snatched all three points with just two minutes left to play, Hetherington believes there were plenty of positives for his side to take into Saturday’s clash with Morton at the Indodrill Stadium.

He said: “The boys are a bit gutted because it was a sucker punch. We did so well in the game but for them to score so late on was an absolute sickener for us.

“Ross County are a decent team but we did exactly what we’d planned to do in frustrating them and trying to hit them on the break. We got in behind a couple of times.

“We could sense at times that they were getting a little bit frustrated but with the quality players they’ve got, they were always going to get chances.

“There were plenty of positives for us to take. We have to use those against Morton on Saturday.”