Edinburgh City crash out of the Betfred Cup after defeat in Alloa

Edinburgh City manager James McDonaugh watched his side crash out of the Betfred Cup in a 2-1 defeat to Alloa. (Photo by Euan Cherry / SNS Group)

Strikes from Stefan Scougall and Robert Thomson either side of Blair Henderson’s equaliser leaves the Citizens bottom of Group H with a solitary point and unable to qualify for the knockout stages.

The Capital outfit have one final tie remaining against Airdrie next month.

Boss James McDonaugh made three changes from the side that drew 2-2 with Stenhousemuir on Saturday, Callum Crane, Danny Handling and Henderson all making way for Sam Newman, Ouzy See and on-loan Livingston attacker Rafa De Vita.

The hosts’ Liam Buchanan should have burst the net after a quarter of an hour at the Indodrill Stadium but the veteran striker was wasteful, firing over from eight yards with the goal at his mercy.

However, Kevin Cawley’s volley from the right side of the penalty box fell perfectly for Scougall to fire the Championship outfit ahead from close range just two minutes later.

Lee Connelly should have doubled Peter Grant’s men’s lead just after the hour mark following Liam Brown’s wayward pass, but fired wide of Calum Antell’s left-hand post.

Alloa chased a second with Cawley hitting the post and Buchanan lifting the rebound over the crossbar.

And City would make the home side pay for their profligacy with just ten minutes to spare, skipper Craig Thomson’s pinpoint cross headed beyond Andy Wilson by substitute Henderson.

But the Wasps’ response was emphatic and with little more than five minutes on the clock, substitute Thomson found space from a tight angle to drill his shot across goal and into the far corner to seal a late victory.

Midfielder Andy Black said: “We can take some positives as we were up against a Championship team. I thought we played well, don’t get me wrong they had some chances, but we can take some confidence going into the league campaign on Saturday.”

Alloa Athletic: Parry (Wilson 43), Robertson, Taggart, Lynch (Graham 56), Dick, Scougall (Trouten 56), Grant (Hetherington 46), Cawley, Murray, Connelly (Thomson 78), Buchanan. Subs: Malcolm, O’Donnell, Williamson, Evans.

Edinburgh City: Antell, Thomson, Balatoni, L Henderson, Newman, Brown, Black (B Henderson 75), Jardine (Handling 67), Campbell, See, De Vita (Hamilton 81). Subs: Sharp, Quate, Jarron, Butterworth.

Referee: David Lowe.