iRN-bRu Cup

bala toWN 2 Hunt (60, pen) Jones (73) alloa ath 4 Spence (10, 45) Robertson (43) Cawley (65)

ALLOA gave departing boss Jack Ross the perfect send-off as they cruised into the last eight of the Irn-Bru Cup.

There was little doubt about the outcome as the new St Mirren manager saw his team punish Bala with some clinical finishing.

The Welsh side used the fixture to officially open their new artificial pitch but their team fell short of being the real deal at this level.

Alloa dominated from the start. Jordan Kirkpatrick flashed a shot narrowly wide of Ashley Morris’s goal early on before the opening goal arrived after 10 minutes.

Kirkpatrick’s shot was blocked but Greig Spence was on hand to volley past Morris.

Bala failed to muster much in response and, midway through the first half, Jon Robertson was narrowly wide with a shot after a fluent Alloa attack.

Spence had an even better chance after Bala gave up possession cheaply and the striker took the ball beyond Morris but took his eye off the ball and the home side survived.

But Alloa doubled their lead two minutes from the break when Robertson curled the ball into the top corner from just outside the area.

It was 3-0 before the break when Spence unleashed an unstoppable shot 25 yards from goal.

Spence was clearly in the mood and tried his luck again from distance at the start of the second half but it flew high and wide.

Bala pulled a goal back when Lee Hunt netted a 58th minute penalty after Scott Taggart fouled Chris Venables.

Alloa hit back four minutes later when Kevin Cawley netted after a clever backheel from Kirkpatrick.

Bala refused to lie down and Stuart J Jones beat Neil Parry with a header to make it 4-2.

Parry then did superbly to tip over a header from Venables as Bala finished with a flourish.

But Alloa finished comfortable winners.