THERE was a moment, shortly after Falkirk's goal, when Scott Taggart misjudged a back pass and forced Neil Parry to scramble the ball off his line.

A ferocious roar rung around the Falkirk Stadium as the locals smelled blood. This was the Wasps – and their Championship ambitions – on the ropes.

They might have dominated the earlier rounds, but now it looked like the merciful thing to do was for Jim Goodwin to throw in the towel.

But this side increasingly laughs in the face of adversity and in Jordan Kirkpatrick they have a player who specialises in extraordinary moments.

The game was in the 86th minute, Alan Trouten had run his race and Kirkpatrick entered the scene.

Alloa had been forced to withstand an almighty storm from their relegation rivals, but now looked to have, at least, secured a vital point in their bid to avoid the drop.

When suddenly, a ball forward was nodded on by Jack Hamilton to Kevin Cawley. The little winger obliged and played a ball between Falkirk's bamboozled centre halves for the on running Kirkpatrick, who somehow squeezed the ball home under pressure from Harry Burgoyne.

Such was Kirkpatrick’s impact, Trouten hadn't even had a chance to take his place on the bench – a bench which leapt to its feet in celebration as the Alloa squad, Neil Parry included, ran towards the far corner in jubilation.

The passionate band of Wasps fans drowned out the audible boos from the Falkirk legions, who headed for the exit.

It felt at the time like this could be the defining moment of the season and nobody could begrudge Alloa the derby win at the end of the day.

Once again, the 15 minute spell of dominance from the hosts aside, they were magnificent. One point is all that separates the bottom three of this unpredictable league, but it would take a brave man to count out the Wasps on this kind of form.

Unsurprisingly, it could only ever have been the same starting lineup as last week and Goodwin’s loyalty was rewarded as his side silenced the home crowd with the opener midway through the first half.

Dario Zanatta scored a wonder goal last week and already looked like Alloa’s most dangerous player in this one. Playing on the left, the sprightly Canadian was giving Jordan McGhee palpitations every time he got on the ball with his drive and his skill.

Zanatta was the first in black and yellow to test Burgoyne with a deflected effort on the counter but he wouldn’t be denied for long. After skinning Paul Paton on the left, his ball across the face was scooped nervously over his own bar by William Edjenguele, but it was only a momentary respite for the hosts.

At the second attempt, Steven Hetherington swung the ball to the back post, Liam Dick nodded it down, and Zanatta pounced, as the Falkirk defence inexplicably dallied, to fire through the legs of a defender and past Burgoyne.

The opener wasn’t quite against the run of play, but the hosts had undoubtedly had the better of the first half chances. Parry had just moments earlier adjusted his body at the last second to keep out Deimantus Petravicius’ swirling shot and earlier the big goalie had sprung to his right to claw Zak Rudden’s dangerous header away.

But, Rudden would soon get his goal as the hosts caught Alloa cold at the start of the second half. Ray McKinnon gambled at half time and threw on Aaron Jarvis to partner the Rangers loanee and the move paid dividends less than a minute into the second 45.

A neat interchange between the sub and Petravicius got the ball in behind Jon Robertson and the latter’s delicious cross was tapped home by Rudden to spark the home side into life.

For the next quarter of an hour, Alloa were all over the place as they struggled to deal with the simple tactical switch and Parry had to be quick off his line to stop Rudden turning the game on its head. He had to be even quicker to bail out Taggart after the makeshift centre back’s horror pass.

However, the Falkirk second never did come. Alloa regrouped, Hetherington and Iain Flannigan started to use the ball like they had done in the first period, and it looked like either side could win it.

Zanatta forced Burgoyne into an easy save from distance, Trouten headed just wide at the back post, and Rudden volleyed an effort over the bar at the other end.

Yet, in the dying embers of the tie, the three Alloa substitutes combined to steal the three points and ended the Wasps’ long wait for a win over their rivals.