Alloa Athletic Women returned from their winter break to kick-start the year in Paisley as they took on Glennifer Thistle Ladies on Sunday.

The Wasps went into league action off the back of a positive festive period, during which they strengthened both the coaching staff and playing squad, as well as picking up some impressive friendly results.

Allan Milne named a strong side at the Ralston Community Sport Centre, with Katie Andrews returning to the squad between the sticks and competitive debuts for Maxine Simpson and Niamh Kinsella who made the switch from St Anthony’s.

It was the hosts who started on the front foot as they asserted their dominance on the game in the early stages. Sina Picken capitalised on that positive momentum as she fired her effort past Andrews in goal to give Glennifer the lead.

That goal seemed to spark life into Alloa, who began to move the ball with much more conviction and urgency after falling a goal behind. Rihanna McMinimee showed great tenacity to win the ball back for the visitors before laying it off to Jenna Woods around 20 yards from goal. The club’s top goalscorer placed the ball into the bottom corner from distance to grab the equaliser and her tenth goal of the season.

A cruel end to the first half saw Alloa fall behind once again as a Cara McInally corner looped into the box, evading everyone, and found its way directly into the back of the net.

What would follow in the second half was 45 minutes of dominance from Alloa as they pinned the opposition inside their own half for the majority of the game.

Substitute Bailey Black added directness and flair to the front line and was rewarded for her efforts with an outstanding finish beyond the trialist goalkeeper to draw the Wasps back level in the match.

A flurry of chances fell to Alloa as they pushed for a winner, but strong defending and assured goalkeeping denied them the elusive goal.

With minutes left in the game, Black would skip into the box before being fouled for a penalty and some late drama. Unfortunately for Alloa, after a long delay between foul and penalty being taken, the resulting effort cannoned off the bar and into safety for Glennifer.

It ended a point apiece in Paisley as the Wasps remain in the same position in the league. The team will look to build on a strong second-half showing when they return to Recreation Park on Sunday, January 25, to face Linlithgow Rose.

At the end of the game, there was a feeling of disappointment that we never took all three points We’ll take a point and build on it though.

We spoke to the group at half-time about a reaction and to their credit, they were excellent in the second half and deserved to go on and win the game.

We have to take the positives, of which there is many from the second half, as we return to the Recs next week.

Allan Milne