A RUTHLESS first half performance saw Alloa Women dispatch Murieston United with ease in the Scottish Cup.

Alloa travelled to Livingston for the rescheduled cup tie after the first was abandoned last week due to player injury.

At the time of the abandonment, Alloa were one up and looked to get back in front against Murieston.

The Wasps stepped up to the plate and sent four past the hosts, with goals coming from a Bailey Black brace, Amy Cully and a shot from distance by captain Teri-Louise Deegan.

Manager Allan Milne was delighted with the first half showing from his side, hailing every aspect of their game.

He said: “We had to play the replay due to the abandonment of the game and we had a bit of a small squad through injuries so we only had around 14 available.

“The players that turned up really did well – the attitudes, fight, desire and determination was brilliant right from the start.

“The goals we scored were all very good goals and they’re now starting to see the patterns of play that we’re working on – moving the ball pretty well, a bit more confidence on the ball and working with the ball when under pressure.

“It was good to see the girls be able to step up another level when we needed to and see the girls push themselves as well.”

“For me, this was very pleasing.”

The second half saw Alloa sit back a bit more and invited pressure from Murieston, who looked to claw their way back into the game.

They did so by scoring a consolation goal as a result from the Wasps lifting their foot off the gas after a strong first half showing.

“Bit disappointed in the second half though,” Milne went on. “We let our standards drop slightly and let them get back into it.

“We spoke to them after that about our standards and about how it doesn’t matter who we play – they thought it was maybe too easy.

“Players started to do things that we wouldn’t normally ask them to do and that’s how we started to lose our shape and discipline.

“We told them it doesn’t matter who we play, we need to maintain that at all times and the only disappointing thing was that we never scored more goals in the second half.

“We need to be more ruthless and we’re trying to finalise that with them – we need to look to kill games off more.

“Let’s be ruthless and more aggressive and score more goals.”

With the tie wrapped up, Alloa have been drawn away to Cambusdoon in Ayrshire for the next round of the Scottish Cup.

A relatively new team, the manager admitted this will be a different test for his side, but that they are brimming with confidence following a perfect start to the season.

“We don’t know much about them,” Milne added. “It’s going to be a game where we focus on ourselves and how we can play.

“After three out of three wins, we’re very confident that we can go and challenge anyone at the moment.

“It’s about us focusing on what we can do more so on what we can do. We’ll try to do our homework and find out more about them.

“It’s just about reiterating to the girls about how we play, how we set up and hopefully we’ll get into the next round.”