OPPOSITION teams will write Alloa off at their peril this season, according to Stevie Hetherington.

The midfielder – one of the longest-serving members of the Wasps’ squad – says they weren’t taken seriously last season as they beat the odds to survive in the Championship.

The Wee County side’s season began with a 3-3 draw with Elgin, with the visitors winning the resulting penalty shootout and bonus point.

Tomorrow they face a visit to Premiership outfit Hibs but Hetherington feels they are still confident of grabbing a result.

He told Advertiser Sport: “Last season people had written us off before a ball was kicked and I’m sure it’s going to happen again but we proved everyone wrong.

“People at other clubs came out and said we would play this way and that way but we didn’t and I think we surprised everyone.

“I hope people take us seriously this season but whether they do or don’t, we will just focus on ourselves.

“Our main aim is to survive in the Championship and the league cup campaign will help make sure we are properly prepared for the season.

“But we want to do as well in the competition as we can. There’s a real opportunity to get to the last 16 and there are good games to look forward to as well.

“You don’t always get to play against teams like Hibs and there’s the derby game against Stirling so there’s plenty to look forward to.”

Hetherington says the whole squad are looking forward to working under new manager Peter Grant, who was named as Jim Goodwin’s successor last week.

He said: “First impressions have been really good. The manager has come in and so far the drills he has put on have been really enjoyable.

“He really knows his stuff. You don’t have the playing career he had and go on to coach at the level he has if you don’t know your stuff.

“Every manager has their own ideas and way of doing things so there are going to be differences in the way things work the early signs have been really positive.”

As one of the longest-serving players in the squad, Hetherington believes he has a responsibility to ensure a sense of continuity at the Indodrill Stadium.

He added: “When I first joined there were players like Graeme Holmes, Jason Marr and Mark Docherty who made sure everyone knew what the club was about. Now that job is down to the likes of me, Kevin Cawley and Iain Flannigan.

“There’s a fantastic dressing room at the club. It was like that long before I was here and it’s something that’s continued.

“We are all in it together and we are passing that on to the new boys.”