Alloa 3-0 East Fife

The Fifers have been treading water for some time, with injuries to key players.

Tony Wallace and Kyle Wilkie are out for the season and the already small squad have added experienced Nicki Paterson to the injury list in recent weeks.

Ahead of the trip to the Indodrill Stadium, club skipper Kevin Smith and midfielder Pat Slattery were missing too and it proved to be the straw which broke the camel's back.

With East Fife really down to their bare bones, just three outfield subs were listed while Jesse Curran, signed on loan from Dundee during the afternoon, was handed a start.

Ben Reilly started his first game for the club with Jordan Austin and Jamie Insall restored to the starting XI.

Despite their troubles the Fifers started well and were clearly up for a game which could have stretched their unbeaten league run to 11 games.

Reilly swung a dangerous cross into the box that the Wasps defence couldn't clear with 'keeper Craig McDowall having to punch clear.

Despite their decent start it was East Fife who had to pick the ball out of the net first.

A fine delivery from Dylan Mackin was inviting for Greig Spence who got between the covering Fife defenders and nodded home.

It was a suckerpunch by the hosts and from a player League One defences having constant problems with.

But East Fife dusted themselves down and were inches away from drawing level when Jamie Insall headed another Reilly delivery inches past the post.

Alloa looked a threat whenever they broke forward and was little surprise when they doubled their lead.

A Fife move broke down in the middle of the park and the hosts were grateful to sweep up the loose ball.

It was worked to Kevin Cawley who raced in on the Fife goal and slammed his shot beyond Goodfellow from the edge of the box.

Alloa started the second half where they had left off in the first and set about finding a third goal to kill the game.

They went close minutes after the restart when Goodfellow had to be at his best to turn a Steven Hetherington shot around the post.

East Fife are not a side used to getting beat and despite the game edging away from them, tried to salvage something.

Chris Duggan and Mark Lamont added some fresh legs from the bench and the pair combined to create a chance for Duggan which he curled wide of the post.

The scoring was completed when second half sub Jamie Longworth headed home Alloa's third.

Alloa - McDowall, Taggart, Waters, McKeown, Graham, Hetherington, Cawley (Robertson 69), Flannigan, Spence (Holmes 77), Kirkpatrick, Mackin (Longworth 61).

Subs - Marr, Hoggan, Hynd, Wilson.

East Fife - Goodfellow, Kane, Page, Kerr, Brown, Curran, Robinson, Insall, Penrice, Austin (Duggan 67), Reilly (Lamont 67).

Subs - Mutch, Hurst.

Att: 436.

Ref: Barry Cook.