PARS 1 Alloa Athletic 2, Tunnock's Caramel Wafer Cup, third round

ATHLETIC'S Tunnock's Caramel Wafer Cup hopes crumbled as Alloa came from a goal down to send them crashing out this afternoon.

A debut goal for Greg Kiltie in the first half was wiped out by Robert Thomson before Alan Trouten's goal eight minutes into the second half proved decisive.

It means that head coach Stevie Crawford has watched his Pars side go six games without a win, and slump to their fourth successive defeat in all competitions.

He had been looking for a morale-boosting victory from his team, but they didn't truly get going in what, for the most part, was a low-key encounter played with little intensity.

Dunfermline were booed off by their supporters at full-time, who had every right to feel disappointed by the performance of their favourites.

Kiltie, who joined on a season-long loan from Kilmarnock on deadline day, was handed his debut in one of five changes made by Stevie Crawford following the disappointing defeat at Arbroath.

He took the place of Josh Coley, who dropped to the bench, while Cammy Gill, Tom Lang, Gabby McGill and Matty Todd all started in place of Ryan Scully, Danny Devine, Kevin Nisbet and Lewis McCann.

Harry Cochrane and Anthony McDonald, on loan from Hearts, we ineligible having played in an earlier round, and travelled with the Jambos' Colts side that lost to Waterford last night.

There was little to get the crowd excited in the early exchanges, with the visitors looking a bit more comfortable in possession, but Kiltie almost put Aaron Comrie in with a deft flick pass for the full-back to run on to, but the ball was cleared from a corner.

From that, Kyle Turner's flat delivery was met by Lang - making his competitive bow - but he could only head wide.

Todd, after receiving the ball from Turner, had a go from range that was easy pickings for Neil Parry in the Wasps goal, before Kiltie flashed an effort off-target from the edge of the area after more patient build-up.

At the other end, Cammy Gill produced a fine save to keep the game level from Alan Trouten's effort having been set up by Robert Thomson, but Dunfermline almost immediately proceeded to take the lead.

They cleared the resulting corner and, after being released by Turner on the right, McGill switched the ball to the on-rushing Kiltie, who had all the time he needed to confidently slot the ball under Parry.

The Alloa keeper, though, seemed to sustain a knock as he tried to block out the opener and was substituted for Chris Henry, and he was soon tested from distance by Pars' goalscorer.

But, in the 39th minute - and out of nothing - the visitors levelled.

A decent hit by Liam Dick was saved by Gill, and it looked for all the world that Lang would get something on the ball to clear.

However, it wasn't and Thomson was there to net from a couple of yards and stun the home crowd.

The recently introduced Henry earned his stripes with a decent reflex stop to deny Lee Ashcroft from a corner, while Dick headed off target at the back post for Alloa from another set-piece delivery.

And, in the 53rd minute, the visitors turned the contest completely on its head.

Trouten, who scored four times for the Wasps at East End last season, haunted the Pars again with a fine strike that kissed Gill's left-hand post before nestling in the net.

Thomson, shortly before being subbed for ex-Par Liam Buchanan, had a sighter of goal for three with an acrobatic effort that went over as hosts struggled to up the ante.

Crawford threw on Andy Ryan and Kevin Nisbet for McGill and Todd on the hour mark as he sought a response from his men, but just as he did so, Lang was forced off for Josh Edwards after taking a knock in a tackle.

Edwards almost put Turner in on goal with a fine ball that, unfortunately, was just too strong for the ex-Stranraer midfielder to latch on to, before Ryan saw a curling effort clear Henry's bar.

It was a frustrating watch for the home fans in the 1,448 crowd as their favourites struggle to break through Alloa's well-drilled defence and, when they did almost get in behind, there always seemed to be a man in a white shirt clearing the danger.

Paton shot wildly over from distance, while Ryan and Nisbet both had headers off-target, as time began to slip away from Dunfermline.

Ryan and Nisbet both tried to head their side level, but couldn't hit the target, in the final 10 minutes, while a stoppage time penalty appeal came to nothing from Tom Beadling's shot, as the Pars suffered a dismal exit.