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Ola Adeyemo’s first strike for the club and Rory McAllister’s 18th of the campaign were enough to rescue a point as we made an astonishing late comeback against The Wasps at the Indodrill Stadium.

Alloa made good use of what was an uncharacteristically below par first half performance from us to deservedly go in at the interval two ahead, thanks to goals from Andy Graham and Steven Boyd.

It could have been more for the home side at that point, although to be fair on our lads we might have actually been level by the break had Jamie Masson not seen a header hit the woodwork and another effort kept out by Alloa keeper David Hutton.

Alloa hopes of holding on for victory were dented when they had substitute Jon Robertson red carded, only four minutes after he came on, for going in with studs high on Iain Vigurs, on the hour.

But it was manager Paul Hartley having the courage to go for broke by throwing on every attacking substitute he had that was the main reason why we came away with what could end up being a valuable point.

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That looked a distance hope in the first half, when we simply weren’t at the races and were pinned back by Alloa from the off.

The Wasps got their opener in the fifth minute when Mohamed Niang managed to knock the ball on to GRAHAM. He didn’t connect properly with his shot from 10-yards, but it was enough to get the ball past Stuart McKenzie into the net.

McKenzie then had to punch the ball off the head of Stefan Scougall at the edge of the six-yard box as the home side threatened again almost immediately.

Alloa were screaming for a penalty when Niang’s shot was deflected wide in the 14th minute, but referee Peter Stuart was content with awarding a corner to the home side.

Boyd took the resulting corner, from the left, and his cross reached Niang, who sent his six-yard header wide of the far post.

It was all Alloa, so it was no surprise to see them go two up in the 18th minute.

Connor Sammon did well to win the ball deep in our area and when he knocked it to his left BOYD was unmarked to sweep it into the far corner from 12-yards.

We were lucky not to fall three behind in the 20th minute.

Adam King fed the ball through to Sammon and his acrobatic volley was kept out by an impressive diving save from McKenzie.

Scougall then broke forward to lash a 16-yard shot wide as the home side continued to dominate.

McKenzie was called into action again in the 24th minute, when he made a brave block at the feet of Daniel Church at the edge of the six yard box.

The rebound broke to Boyd but his lob, from a tight angle on the left, went over the crossbar.

Cove manager Paul Hartley chose to go with a 3-5-2 formation at that point in an effort to stem the tide and we were desperately unlucky not to pull a goal back in the 35th minute.

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Mark Reynolds played the ball down the left to Harry Milne and his cross reached Masson, who saw his powerful eight-yard header rebound to safety off Alloa keeper Hutton’s right post.

Masson was desperately unlucky again in the 40th minute.

Reynolds fired a magnificent cross over from wide on the left and Masson looked certain to score from close range at the back post, but Hutton somehow managed to scoop the ball clear.

That meant we came back out with hope that we could recover, although it was Alloa who continued to look more dangerous, on the break, in the early stages of the second period.

You could sense a switch in momentum on the hour, when Robertson was shown a red card for his clumsy, high, challenge on Vigurs, who required treatment before he could continue.

Manager Hartley responded to having the man advantage by bringing on McAllister and Kai Fotheringham and piling men forward.

Alloa were asking for a red card to be shown to Morgyn Neill in the 68th minute, despite the fact the defender seemed to have made a perfectly timed tackle to stop Sammon running in on goal.

Referee Stuart chose to book Neill, with Boyd then blasting the resulting 20-yard free-kick over the crossbar.

McAllister set up Fotheringham with a clever lay-off, in the 70th minute, but the young attacker could only guide his 14-yard shot over the crossbar.

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We went for broke in the 77th minute, with Adeyemo, Leighton McIntosh and Robbie Leitch all added to what was now virtually a six man attack.

And our determination to salvage something was rewarded in the 81st minute when Milne fired a splendid cross over from the left touchline and ADEYEMO rose to steer a brilliant eight-yard header into the corner of the net.

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There was no time to celebrate as we raced back to get play restarted and Adeyemo’s appeal for a penalty when he appeared to be shoved, in the 83rd minute, was waved away by the referee.

Alloa were hanging on desperately now and it took a last-gasp block from Scott Taggart to stop Fraser Fyvie equalising a minute later, after Milne and McAllister had combined to get the ball to him.

The equaliser our show of guts and character deserved finally arrived in the 85th minute, after Fotheringham managed to knock the ball on to McALLISTER, deep inside the Alloa area.

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Hutton seemed to have his goal covered, but veteran striker McAllister showed his class by squeezing a right foot shot past him from the tightest of angles on the left.

We laid siege to the Alloa goal after that, but just ran out of time, with Hutton grabbing a Milne cross right under his crossbar the last action of what had been an enthralling finale.

ALLOA ATHLETIC: Hutton, Durban, Graham, Taggart, Cawley, King (Robertson 56), Niang, Church, Scougall (Riley-Snow 63), Boyd, Sammon (Armour 77).

Subs: Burt, Mendy, Armstrong, O’Donnell, Howie.

COVE RANGERS: McKenzie, Neill, Milne, Scully (Fotheringham 63), Ross (Leitch 77), Yule, Megginson (McIntosh 77), Masson (McAllister 63), Vigurs, Fyvie (Adeyemo 77), Reynolds.

Subs: Gourlay.

Referee: Peter Stuart.

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