IT WAS the talk of the half-time cuppa, but in the end Steven Hetherington had to concede Alloa's first goal of the Championship season to Alan Trouten.

The Englishman's long range effort found its way home through a crowd of bodies courtesy of a deflection from the veteran striker; cue the whys and wherefores as the Wasps debated whose goal it was.

But, speaking to Advertiser Sport after the side's 1-1 draw with Partick Thistle, Hetherington was happy to admit his team-mate had got the vital touch.

"It was Trouten's but I thought it was mine," the 26-year-old said. "But no it was Trouts' goal and although it would have been nice to get one the most important thing is that it went in the back of the net.

"It was a good game in general and we played particularly well in the first half. Thistle came into it in the second and I thought they started well.

"It stopped us from playing and then it actually seemed like they scored just as we thought we had seen out their spell.

"We created chances towards the end and I had one I probably should have scored and when you look back at it as a whole it was a really good game to be involved in.

"We might look back on it and think that it actually was a good point in the end.

"We dominated the first half and I don't remember many chances they had other than the one Neilly pushed over the bar."

Hetherington shone for the Wasps last season as one of two holding midfielders in front of Jim Goodwin's stubborn back four, but he found himself pushed into a more attacking role on Saturday.

The Englishman was on the left hand side of Grant's diamond formation and his energy and dynamism earned him the man-of-the-match award.

"Our transitioning from midfield into attack was good and we created some really good chances," he continued.

"Over the last year we've been playing as a two with Flanny (Iain Flannigan) and I as the screeners.

"The gaffer has changed the formation to play a bit more of a diamond and that left of the formation gives me a bit more freedom to move out and get forward.

"That was where the goal came from. I had a lot of space to move into and took it.

"Second half, I found myself going into the box a few times and I really enjoyed it.

"Sometimes with a diamond you get drawn into being a left midfielder, but that's not the case with the gaffer and he's wanting the left and right of the diamond to be wide men and to interchange."

One of Saturday's other talking points was the fading lines of last season's pitch as Grant's extended park made a debut appearance.

Hetherington said: "I was surprised last year when the pitch was brought in, but that was the decision that was made by the chairman and the gaffer.

"The bigger space then the more space we are going to have then we can find players like Trouts in behind the strikers. He's one of the best in the league at doing that."