Alloa booked their place in round two of the IRN-BRU Cup with a comfortable win at the Indodrill Stadium.
Only 332 fans were there to see it – around 80 of them in the away end – as the £17 adult admission price kept supporters away.
Kevin Cawley’s double late in the first half had the Wasps in control and Iain Flannigan added the third goal less than a minute after the break. Lee Hamilton got one back but it wasn’t much consolation as we suffered our eighth derby defeat in a row.
Stirling haven’t won a game in this competition since beating Elgin City at Borough Briggs in July 2014 and never looked like ending that run.
Binos boss Dave Mackay was again without injured trio Darren Smith, Darren Barr and Kevin Moon while Neil McLaughlin was involved with parent club Motherwell, as was Alloa’s Jake Hastie. The hosts had to do without suspended striker Greig Spence and only named three subs – one of them manager Jim Goodwin.
The Championship side had two goals disallowed for offside before Cawley converted an Adam Brown cross then volleyed Alan Trouten’s delivery past Calum Ferrie.
Mark Stewart missed a great chance when he headed wide at 0-0 but Alloa were much the better team and Flannigan smashed a shot into the net from 18 yards for No 3.
Hamilton reduced the deficit when his header from a corner hit the post and was judged to have crossed the line before being cleared.
Alloa Athletic: Parry, Taggart, Dick, Graham, Hetherington (Karadachki 83) Cawley, Robertson, Trouten, Flannigan, Brown, Peggie. Subs (not used): Goodwin, Henry (GK).
Goal: Cawley 40, 45, Flannigan 46
Stirling Albion: Ferrie, McGeachie, Allan, Hamilton, Banner (Watson 27) Marr, Stewart (Fell 77), Jardine, P MacDonald, Thomson, Robertson. Subs (not used): Young, Docherty, McLaren, M MacDonald, Binnie (GK).
Goal: Hamilton 55
Crowd: 332
Referee: David Lowe
