THIS weekend Cowdenbeath face a crucial match if they are to ensure they stay clear of problems at the wrong end of the Championship table in the early weeks of the season.

Current bottom dogs, Alloa Athletic, come to Central Park and even this early in the season this is a match which has to be won. The Blues disappointed at Livingston so there will need a big improvement when they meet the Wasps, who have lost both their opening games.

Cowden boss Jimmy Nicholl had hoped to have two loan signings in his squad for last Saturday but he was unable to get the lads in time for the match.

He hopes to have at least one of them this week for a match he knows his side really have to win.

“We did not really play well at all at Livingston,” he said, “The first-half saw us have a couple of good chances but I was just coming out of the tunnel after the break when they scored and everything we talked about at the break was in tatters.

“We lost the second goal midway through the half but we kept looking to go at them and Jon Robertson hit the bar before Lewis Milne scored .

“It was not the sort of performance we wanted against a team who we dearly wanted to beat.” The manager is fully aware of the importance of the Alloa match, “There are no easy games in the Championship but this is a game we really want to win and we will be setting our stall out to do just that.

“It could be that we will go for a more attacking formation in this match for we have to look to create chances and stretch their defence.

“At the same time we have to ensure that we retain possession of the ball and avoid giving it away needlessly and we will be working on that at training this week.

“We showed against Falkirk that we can compete with one of the better sides in the division and we have to repeat that against Alloa.” Midfielder Sammy Stewart is making progress with his injury problem but this game will come too soon for him and forward Craig Johnston has a hamstring strain and is unlikely to be fit for this weekend.

It could be that the manager will include either Craig Sutherland or Dan Jurisic to help Lewis Milne and Sean Higgins get the goals Cowden will need to win this match.

“Craig did well when he came on against Livingston so he has given me plenty to think about for the Alloa game,” added the manager. Cowden play Falkirk on Tuesday night at 7.45pm at Westfield in the second round of the Scottish League Cup.