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A SENSATIONAL last minute free-kick from Ryan Strachan created another bit of  history for the club as Alloa Athletic became the first Championship side to lose out to us in the Scottish Cup.

Defender Ryan’s long range rocket meant we did it in dramatic fashion at the Indodrill Stadium –  but the narrow scoreline failed to tell the true story of a second round tie we dominated from start to finish and should have won by a lot more.

Jamie Masson and Rory McAllister were also on target as we produced our best performance of the season to create at least a dozen other decent scoring chances.

You have to credit Alloa for still forcing us to come from behind twice to eventually ensure we will be in the hat – alongside the nation’s big guns – when the third round draw takes place tomorrow morning.

But there was no doubt the best side won.

Manager Paul Hartley made one change to the starting line-up from the previous week, with Connor Scully coming in for Leighton McIntosh, who began the afternoon on the bench.

Connor Smith and Cammy Logan, who joined us on loan from Hearts earlier in the week, were also among the substitutes.

We made a strong start and missed a host of scoring opportunities early on.

The first was in the third minute, when Strachan passed to Rory McAllister and his shot from a tight angle on the right was pushed wide by home keeper Neil Parry.

Within a minute, Harry Milne had fed the ball forward to Megginson and his 18-yard shot was held by Parry.

The one-way traffic continued with Fraser Fyvie floating a free-kick into the area for Graham to head wide from 15 yards.

Our best best chance yet came in the 10th minute, after Parry had done well to block a shot from Masson.

The rebound fell to Scully but his eight-yard effort was deflected over by a defender.

McAllister tried again on the 19th minute when he dispossessed Trouten just inside the Alloa half and tried to lob Parry from 40-yards but the keeper managed to grab the ball in the six yard box.

Alloa went close a minute later when Trouten laid the ball back to Liam Buchanan and his shot from the edge of the area was kept out by an excellent diving save from Stuart McKenzie.

Megginson followed that by winning the ball near half way then advancing to fire a 20 yard shot that was deflected wide.

Masson took the resultant corner and his cross reached Milne at the back post but he sent his header off target.

Cove swept forward again in a brilliant passing move that ended with Masson seeing his shot deflected wide after Yule had crossed the ball from the right.

Masson took that corner too and reached Scott Ross but his header went back across the face of the Alloa goal and wide.

Despite our dominance, Alloa took the lead in the 27th minute, from a hotly disputed penalty.

Trouten blasted the ball against Ross Graham from close range after an Alloa corner had been swung into the box and referee David Dickison decided the defender had deliberately handled.

It was extremely harsh but TROUTEN was unconcerned as he fired the spot-kick past McKenzie.

We responded by going straight on the attack again.

Megginson laid the ball wide to Milne and his shot from out on the left was pushed wide by Parry.

Ross followed that with a cross to Megginson who hit an 18-yard shot off target.

Our pressure was rewarded with the 39th minute equaliser.

A slick move ended with Megginson passing to MASSON and he cut in from the left to hit a shot from the edge of the area that took a deflection off a defender as it sped into the net.

Alloa took only a minute to regain the lead when we failed to clear the ball and when it fell into the path of Cameron O’DONNELL he scored with a well placed volley from the edge of the area.

We failed to panic though and kept Alloa pinned back in their own half for the bulk of the second half.

Parry made a mess of collecting another Masson corner two minutes after the restart.

But the keeper redeemed himself by stretching to tip Milne’s shot from the loose ball over his crossbar.

We looked to have a strong penalty claim denied in the 58th minute when Milne was clearly pulled back by a defender as he broke into the Alloa area, on the left.

Referee Dickinson awarded only a corner, which Masson took and his cross was volleyed off target by Fyvie.

We were unlucky again when Scully’s overhead pass forward reached McAllister and his net bound shot hit Andy Graham and went wide.

McAllister tried again when he got on the end of a Yule cross but Graham again got in the way to deflect the ball inches wide of the Alloa goal.

We had a second penalty claim denied in the 67th minute when referee Dickinson waved away Milne’s appeals that he had been pushed in the area.

The constant pressure continued when Masson cut in from the left, in the 71st minute, but his shot hit a defender and went a foot wide of the far post.

Scully then curled a corner over from the right and Parry just managed to stop the ball sneaking in at the far post.

Our persistence was rewarded with a deserved second equaliser, in the 75th minute.

The move began with an excellent pass out of defence by Graham that allowed Megginson to break into the Alloa area.

Parry made an excellent save from the striker’s 15-yard shot but McALLISTER was on hand to lash the rebound high into the Alloa net.

STRACHAN provided the icing on the cake with a 90th minute winner that was worthy of deciding any game.

He, Fyvie and Scully were all lurking with intent when we were awarded a free-kick at least 35-yards out from the Alloa goal.

The former Peterhead defender took charge and bulleted an unstoppable drive into the top corner of the net then dashed off to celebrate his astonishing strike with his team-mates beside our dugout.

It was a dream end but no more than our lads deserved for an outstanding team performance.

ALLOA ATHLETIC: Parry, Graham, Jamieson, Dick, Robertson, Grant, Hetherington, O’Donnell (Murray 65), Cawley, Trouten (Scougell 46), Buchanan (Thomson 61).

Subs: Willison, Malcolm, Connelly, Lynch.

COVE RANGERS: McKenzie, Milne, Scully, Scott Ross, Strachan, Yule, Megginson, Masson, McAllister (McIntosh 82), Graham, Fyvie.

Subs: Seb Ross, Smith, Logan, Demus.

Referee: David Dickinson

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