3 Falkirk talking points and player ratings from Alloa Athletic win

And it was a dominant first-half showing that did the damage against Brian Rice’s Clackmannanshire visitors – who left the Falkirk Stadium having failed to strike a shot on target throughout the 90 minutes.

With just three minutes on the clock, Alfredo Agyeman popped up in the box to head home a corner kick from close range after goalkeeper Tochukwu Ogayi made a meal of what seemed like a straightforward clearance.

Then, Ghana-born Agyeman netted his second of the afternoon on 24 minutes, slotting home in the penalty box from another corner kick. This time around, Liam Henderson did well to head back across goal to the forward.

The best moment of the match came seven minutes before the break, when defender Coll Donaldson put the Bairns three up. He was given room to shoot from 25-yards and his effort flew into the top-right hand corner of Ogayi’s net.

It should have been more for Falkirk in the second half, with the likes of Calvin Miller and Agyeman missing chances in front of goal, but the hosts were completely comfortable as they chalked up a third successive win in all competitions.

Squad depth

That’s now been two outings in a matter of weeks that have saw Falkirk secure a home victory without much of a sweat while missing key men Callumn Morrison and Brad Spencer.

It is hard to pick out individuals from this current crop, considering how well the season has gone so far, but Morrison and Spencer and two players who have made a real difference on the park.

But you wouldn’t have known that against Alloa Athletic. Finn Yeats came back into the middle of the park, with Layton Bisland moving into the right-back role, and he was imperious in the midfield.

The former Aberdeen youngster has been brilliant at full-back but he looks even better when given a free reign to keep things ticking over in the middle.

Meanwhile, Ethan Ross and Calvin Miller both had their moments of ingenuity and guile against the Wasps, and they more than made up the absence of top goalscorer Morrison.

Alfredo Agyeman

Last weekend at Stirling Albion, the winger was hauled off at half-time by boss John McGlynn, and he made sure to impress in this one. His two goals were everything you want to see from a forward-thinking player.

He evaded his marker on both occasions and was in the right place at the right time in the penalty box.

The ex-Kelty Hearts man should have had what would have been his first senior career hat-trick on the day too, but he missed a guilt-edged chance in the second half.

Gary Oliver played the ball across and he struck straight into the goalkeeper’s hands when it looked just as easy to score.

It is clear that Agyeman is still raw – but the ability, skill and pace he has in the final third should see him hit double figures in his maiden full-time season.

Coll Donaldson

It isn’t what you would usually link to a central-defender, but Coll Donaldson definitely has a trademark power shot in his locker.

The stand-in Bairns captain has been eying up a long range screamer for a season or two, and he finally found the back of the net with one against Alloa Athletic.

His effort from range was an absolute howitzer that left the goalkeeper with no chance of getting to the ball.

It was certainly an improvement on last weekend’s attempt at a power free-kick at Stirling Albion, with that effort one to forget.

The defender has also really benefitted from Tom Lang’s introduction to the team this summer.

Teams

Falkirk: Hogarth 6, Bisland 7, Donaldson 7, Lang 6, McCann 7 (Mackie 5), Henderson 5 (Nesbitt 5), Yeats 7, Miller 7 (Lawal 5), Ross 7 (Oliver 5), Agyeman 8, MacIver 5 (Allan 5).

Subs not used: Long, McKay.

Alloa Athletic: Ogayi, Taggart, Hetherington, Roberts, Steven, Buchanan, Wales, Devine, Deveney (McKay), Neill, Virtanen (Rodden).

Subs not used: Burt, Sammon, Scougall, Coulson, Cawley.

Referee: Duncan Williams.Attendance: 4,449.