BY ALAN TEMPLE – @CCP_Sport
EAST FIFE star Scott Mercer has warned his pal Greig Spence that his hot streak will come to an abrupt end at the Indodrill this afternoon.
The fellow Fifers are close friends off the pitch but that camaraderie will be put on hold for 90 minutes as the Methil men attempt to halt Alloa’s 100 per cent start to the season.
The form of prolific Spence has been a massive factor in the Wasps’ success, with the former Raith Rovers and Cowdenbeath hit-man bagging five goals in seven games since his summer arrival from Central Park.
Mercer is acutely aware that he will get pelters if Spence finds the net this afternoon and reckons he can shackle the striker.
The 21-year-old joked: “He won’t be running riot against me this weekend, I can guarantee that – he can take that as a threat!
“I know Greig well, he’s a local lad and stays near me in Fife.
“Growing up in Dunfermline, we have plenty of mutual friends – so I’ll never hear the end of it if he scores in Saturday.
“To be fair, he scores goals wherever he has been throughout his career and was prolific at this level last season, so we know we’ll need to be on the top of our game.”
Spence is far from the only threat to East Fife, with the likes of Jordan Kirkpatrick, Jon Robertson and Isaac Layne all thriving under Jack Ross during a start to the season which has seen them progress to the last eight of the Betfred Cup and roar to the summit of League 1.
The Wasps are also the top scorers in Scottish football, however Mercer is adamant that is a challenge Gary Naysmith’s side will relish.
The former Dunfermline defender continued: “It is a massive test for us, especially with younger lads like myself and Jason Kerr, who is on loan here from St Johnstone.
“But that is what you want, we fought really hard to win promotion so we could face really good sides and test ourselves.”
And while all the expectation will be on Alloa to continue their fine form, Mercer reckons the Bayview outfit can underline their own promotion credentials, having enjoyed an unbeaten start to life back in League 1.
He added: “I think we have already shown that we won’t be fazed at this level and we definitely don’t feel like we have anything to fear.”
