Albion Rovers striker Alan Trouten says that the Cliftonhill side are fired up to prove their doubters wrong after being made the pre-season favourites for relegation from League One.

Trouten hit a hat-trick and bagged the winning penalty in the shootout as Rovers earned a bonus point after a thrilling four-all draw with Premiership side Hamilton on Tuesday night.

And the red-hot frontman reckons that his side can take their impressive Betfred Cup form into their league campaign, then confound the bookies by challenging at the right end of the table.

“We will be looking to be up there in the mix at the top,” Trouten said. “I know that before the Betfred Cup started we were favourites for relegation, and all the boys have taken note of that.

“We have professional pride and it’s not nice to hear people speaking about you like that, so we’ll be using that as motivation to get as high up the league as possible.

“The gaffer mentioned it on the very first day of pre-season, and he told us that we need to have something about us and not let anyone put that tag onto us. We want to prove everybody wrong.

“It’s early days and it will be a long season ahead, but we’re looking to keep up the high standards we have set so far for the rest of the campaign.

“It’s going to be a tough league with Ayr going full-time and Raith dropping down, and Airdrie are still full-time as well.

“So, there’s three full-time teams and there’s only four playoff spaces, so we know it will be hard, but we’ve got faith and I think we’ve shown in the three games so far that we’re a good team.”

Trouten, who has now hit five goals in his first three games for Rovers since moving to the club from Brechin in the summer, puts his fine form down to the confidence that his new manager has instilled in him.

And he is hoping that his dream night against Accies in midweek is not a one-off.

“It was just one of those nights where everything I did seemed to work out pretty well,” he said. “I’ve had enough nights the other way when you can’t do anything right, so it’s good to have one when you get a few goals!

“From the first time I spoke to the gaffer, he told me the way he wanted to play as a team and individually, and that was the reason I signed.

“He’s given me that confidence that not every manager does. He allows me to play in the way that suits me, and the way the team plays is of benefit to me.

“I’ve loved the games so far and I think that you can see that the gaffer is bringing out the best in me. Hopefully I can repay his faith in me.

“It’s his first real manager’s job and he’s been brilliant. He’s very, very positive, he knows what he wants and he gets his point across.

“No matter what team we are playing, nothing is going to change. Even against Hamilton Accies, he had a right go at us at half-time for not passing the ball about.

“A lot of managers when you play higher opposition they want you to sit in and defend, but the gaffer knows what he wants and how he wants to play.

“He’s played at a really high level and he’s brought that professionalism in. He’s got a sports scientist in, so he wants to go about things in the right way both on and off the pitch.

“He likes a laugh and a joke as well, so the boys are really enjoying the training and being around the club.”