PARS 0-0 Alloa Athletic

DUNFERMLINE'S winless Championship run stretched to four games after they were held to a disappointing draw by Alloa Athletic this afternoon.

Allan Johnston's side couldn't find the means to break down their newly promoted opponents, who were well worth their point after giving as good as they got for much of the contest.

For Athletic, while it marked a second clean sheet in a row, the result means that they are still eighth in the table and have netted once in their last five matches.

The boos rang out around East End as, after a promising start to the season in the Betfred Cup and by beating Dundee United in their league opener, Dunfermline's results have taken a worrying downturn.

The Pars made one change from the Irn-Bru Cup win at Boreham Wood last week, with Kallum Higginbotham missing out with a groin injury and replaced in the starting line-up by Myles Hippolyte.

There was no place for Ryan Williamson, who returned from Scotland under-21 duty with a slight knock, as the hosts lined up in a 4-4-2 system.

The clean sheet and penalty shoot-out win in Hertfordshire, it was hoped, had instilled a bit more confidence in Athletic and they started off brightly in the game's opening moments.

Some neat play almost put Jackson Longridge in on goal but the ball was just too heavy before being smothered by Alloa keeper Neil Parry, but outwith a blocked Faissal El Bakhtaoui shot, and away claims for a penalty, there was little to report in the opening 20 minutes.

Robbie Muirhead did have a shot from the right-edge of the area after being found by El Bakhtaoui, but his effort was weak and easily smothered.

Moments later, Myles Hippolyte collected the ball just inside the penalty area and almost danced around Parry, only for the keeper to make a decent block, but too often Dunfermline's play was slow, ponderous and lacking threat.

At the other end, Lee Ashcroft and Jackson Longridge both had to be alert to throw themselves in front of stinging efforts from Dario Zanatta and Alan Trouten, before Joe Thomson saw a shot from range deflected as it looped up and over the bar.

El Bakhtaoui had a go from distance as the home side looked to up the tempo at the start of the second half, but again Parry easily gathered at his near post.

Mark Durnan got on the end of a Muirhead free-kick as the Pars sought to fashion an opening, but his header sailed well clear of the Wasps goal as frustration began to build amongst the crowd.

Some fine defensive work by James Craigen to race across from full back to block from Zanatta after being played in by Trouten saved a huge opportunity for the visitors, and there was another chance for the Wasps just before the hour mark.

A deep free-kick to the far post was nodded back across goal for Trouten, but Lee Robinson blocked well to prevent what could have been the opener.

In the 64th minute, Johnston brought Andy Ryan and Aidan Connolly on for Hippolyte and Louis Longridge in a bid to change the dynamic of the game in his team's favour, and Connolly almost had an immediate impact, shooting wide after latching on to a throw on the right.

A cross-cum shot by Thomson with 15 minutes left was the next piece of action that could be considered a threat at either end, before another chance came their way from a dead ball.

Andy Graham was cautioned for being deemed to have fouled Muirhead at the left edge of the area and, from the resultant free-kick, Connolly's effort was just too high and landed on the roof of the net.

Dunfermline continued to try and find a way through, but too often their final pass just wasn't quite there, as frustration continued to grow.

Ryan was then hauled down by Sam Roscoe, who was booked, as he sped towards the box in the final minute and, after taking the set-piece himself, could only find Parry's arms.

And that signalled the end of Athletic's efforts as they were forced to settle for a disappointing home draw to the disgruntlement of the home support.

Pars: Robinson, Craigen, Durnan, Ashcroft, J.Longridge, L.Longridge, Thomson, Vincent, Hippolyte, El Bakhtaoui, Muirhead.

Subs: Todd, M.Martin, Connolly, Ryan, Devine, Gill.

Alloa Athletic: Parry, Taggart, Dick, Graham, Roscoe, Hetherington, Flannigan, Cawley, J.Hastie, Trouten, Zanatta.

Subs: Robertson, Spence, Shields, Burt, Brown, Peggie, C.Hastie.

Referee: Mike Roncone.