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Fraser Fyvie and Harry Milne shared the scoring in the second half as we eventually saw off the Wasps in our cinch League One clash in front of a bumper 1,281 crowd at Balmoral Stadium.

Midfielder Fyvie brought his tally for the season to an impressive 13 goals – eight of them in the league – with a well taken double.

Left-back Milne provided the icing on the cake by nodding home the third right at the death as we stretched our unbeaten run in the league to 24 games and left ourselves needing a victory from our final two fixtures to confirm promotion up to the Championship.

It was far from an easy win though, with Alloa enjoying the best of the play in early part of the game and creating some good chances.

Keeper Stuart McKenzie made crucial saves at 0-0, with his defenders chipping in by making vital clearances, including one off our line by Mark Reynolds.

It underlined just how much of a team effort it has been all season to get us to the stage we are at right now.

Mitch Megginson in for the injured Rory McAllister was the only change from the previous weekend, which meant Fyvie having to play further forward.

His two goals, and the fact he was voted man-of-the-match by sponsor Dan Cahill, emphasised how key he was on a day when we were never really at our best, but got the job done.

We almost went ahead in the sixth minute, when Blair Yule crossed to Milne and his diving header from the edge of the six yard box was deflected wide by an Alloa defender.

McKenzie made an excellent save three minutes later to deny Alloa the opener.

Daniel Church crossed the ball in from the left and Connor Sammon’s eight yard header would have gone in if McKenzie hadn’t managed to push the effort wide of his right post.

McKenzie also held an 18-yard shot from Stefan Scougall as the visitors made it clear, with the pressure off them, they were happy to make a game of it.

Scougall also tested McKenzie with a curling corner from the right, with the big keeper punching the ball clear from under his crossbar.

We threatened again in the 23rd minute, when Morgyn Neill knocked the ball into the path of Milne and his low shot from the edge of the area was held by Alloa keeper Peter Morrison.

Neill showed his class at the other end two minutes later, when he made a vital headed clearance just as Sammon waited to pounce on a cross from Scougall.

Scougall took the resulting corner and his cross bounced off the top of the crossbar, although McKenzie had the effort covered anyway.

We were better in the latter stages of the half and unlucky not to score in the 38th minute, after Fyvie had fed the ball up to Megginson.

The striker’s shot was blocked by a defender and Milne’s effort off the rebound also cannoned off Morrison and went inches wide.

We were unfortunate again in the 40th minute, after McKenzie’s long kick was collected by Fyvie.

He fed the ball wide to Shay Logan and when he whipped it back across Megginson prodded it wide of the front post.

Logan broke forward again two minutes later to deliver another great cross and Milne’s header hit a defender before going wide.

Fyvie took that corner and found Neill and his 10-yard header was just a fraction wide of keeper Morrison’s right post.

McKenzie made another save early in the second period, from a MacIver shot, before being forced to make another top drawer one, in the 54th minute.

Mohamed Niang broke into our area, on the Alloa right, but McKenzie was quick off his line to make a vital block at the striker’s feet.

McKenzie and Reynolds were the Cove heroes in the 55th minute.

The keeper did well to get a hand to a clever lob by MacIver and that gave Reynolds the time he needed to get back and complete the clearance by nodding the ball away before it could cross the line.

The value of those heroics was underlined when we went ahead a minute later – with Reynolds involved in that too.

He played the ball down the left wing to Milne and his cross was deftly directed into the far corner of the Alloa net by FYVIE.

Milne marauded down the left again on the hour and Megginson’s effort from the full-back’s cross was going in until it struck Andy Graham and rebounded to safety.

Reynold’s popped up wide left, in the 67th minute, and his brilliant cross reached Fyvie, but his eight yard header was well saved by Morrison.

The reaction from the Cove Rangers fans to the news nearest rivals Airdrieonians were drawing 2-2 with Dumbarton let the players know the title would be theirs if the scores stayed the same, but there was to be a dramatic finale to the afternoon.

McKenzie made another crucial save from a Mark Durnan effort, in the 72nd minute, just before Blair Yule missed a glorious chance to make things more comfortable.

Fyvie and Megginson combined to get the ball to Yule, but the midfielder steered his 14-yard shot wide of Morrison’s right post.

FYVIE made the points safe with another fine finish in the 83rd minute.

Good possession play ended with Connor Scully unselfishly slipping the ball to Fyvie, when he could have had a go himself, and the former Aberdeen and Hibs man gave Morrison no chance from 12-yards.

Fyvie was denied his hat-trick with just two minutes to go, when Morrison just managed to deflect the midfielder’s shot on to the inside of his left post, with the ball then going across the face of the Alloa goal to safety instead of going in.

The third goal we deserved finally arrived in the last minute.

Substitute Jamie Masson crossed from the left and MILNE raced in ahead of the Alloa defenders to power a great header home.

When the final whistle sounded, there was an agonising wait before it was confirmed Airdrieonians had scored late to win 3-2, which means it’s now all down to what we do in our final two league games.

COVE RANGERS: McKenzie, Neill, Milne, Scully, Ross (Masson 83), Yule, Megginson, Vigurs, Fyvie, Logan, Reynolds.

Subs: McIntosh, Adeyemo, Leitch, Gourlay, Fotheringham.

ALLOA ATHLETIC: Morrison, Graham, Howie, Durnan, Niang, Robertson, Scougall, Church, MacIver (Boyd 82), Sammon, Henderson.

Subs: Burt, Armstrong, Cawley, King, Riley-Snow, O’Donnell.

Referee: Craig Napier.

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