Alloa keeper Mark Cairns was outstanding as the Second Division side
secured a replay on Tuesday in this Scottish Cup third round game.
Cairns made a series of stunning saves to keep out the Premier League
strugglers at Rugby Park.
Kilmarnock have won only two of their 20 league games this season and their
poor performances were reflected in the gate with only 5,000 fans turning up.
The Ayrshire club won the Scottish Cup as recently as 1997 but the road to
Hampden could be a brief one for them this time around.
Kilmarnock manager Bobby Williamson recalled Alex Burke to his starting line
up with Alan Mahood dropping out.
Williamson was hoping his side would have been given a lift by the League Cup
victory against Hearts in midweek.
But Second Division high fliers Alloa made life difficult for them with a
gritty performance.
Alloa were content to sit back and try and hit them on the break in the hope
of securing a famous victory.
Kilmarnock tried to force the pace of the game from the outset and Burke got
in a fine cross after just three minutes but Jerome Vareille's shot was off
target.
Alloa retaliated and Martin Cameron skipped away from Ian Durrant, only to
send a tame shot wide of the post.
Vareille then got away down the right and delivered a fine ball to the back
post but Burke's header was safely taken by keeper Mark Cairns.
Kilmarnock broke forward in numbers in the 32nd minute and Michael Jeffrey
headed Gary Holt's cross back into the path of Gus McPherson.
The full back's shot from the edge of the area was firmly struck but keeper
Cairns was well positioned and took the ball cleanly.
Alloa defender Frank Conway then made a timely intervention in the 42nd minute
to deflect Jeffrey's flick to safety after Durrant and Burke had linked up.
Vareille found himself in space five minutes after the break only to hit his
shot wide after Durrant had carved out the chance.
Alloa keeper Cairns then reacted superbly to block a shot from the French
striker after Burke had played the ball through.
The visitors were looking more comfortable the longer the game went on even
though they rarely threatened Kilmarnock keeper Colin Meldrum.
Cairns, the hero when Alloa lifted the Challenge Cup, kept out a fierce effort
from substitute David Bagan in the 75th minute, reacting quickly to push the
ball around the post.
But the crowd erupted in fury when Gus McPherson blazed a cross high over the
bar near the end and began chanting "what a load of rubbish."
Alloa held out until the end and maintained their remarkable record in Cup
competitions this season of only one defeat in 11 ties.
Teams
Kilmarnock: Meldrum, MacPherson, Lauchlan, Dindeleux, Baker,
Holt, Durrant (Bagan 68), Reilly, Burke, Vareille,Jeffrey (Smith 62).
Subs Not Used: Hessey.
Booked: MacPherson, Dindeleux.
Alloa: Cairns, Wilson, Conway, Valentine (G. Clark 69), Beaton, D. Clark, Christie, Irvine, Donaghy, Walker (McKechnie 89), Cameron.
Subs Not Used: Boyle.
Booked: G. Clark.
Att: 5,584
Ref: Garry Mitchell (Scotland).
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