Scorers: Alloa Athletic – Rankin (62 and 79); Stranraer – Gillie (38) and Quigg (75)
Alloa Athletic needed a penalty shootout to overcome a Stranraer side who twice took the lead.
Chris Aitken’s team offered early season signs of encouragement as they took the game to a team in the league above.
The first 45 minutes were largely dominated by the visitors.
Goalkeeper Ross Stewart was called into action after good link-up play down the right involving Ronan Hughes and Evan Dunne.
Hughes played the cross into the box but Lewis Dobbie could not direct his effort beyond the reach of the goalkeeper.
Stranraer continued to push forward and were then denied by the frame of the goal.
Alloa struggled to get a free-kick into the box clear and the ball eventually dropped to Aaron Quigg.
His fierce strike looked destined for the net but came down off the underside of the crossbar and bounced to safety.
Finally, Stranraer’s pressure paid off as they got in front seven minutes before the break.
A fine team goal started with Lewis Gillie winning the ball in the middle of the park.
He strode forward unchallenged and played the ball out wide to Dobbie.
His cross to the back post was then controlled by Archie Traynor and Gillie had continued his run to tap the ball home.
Alloa made a double change at the break and looked a much improved outfit.
It was no surprise then that they got on the scoresheet.
A long ball down the line was not dealt with by the visiting defence and Luke Rankin nipped in.
He skipped round Max Currie and then rolled the ball into the net to pull his side level.
Stranraer were not for giving up though and took the lead for the second time.
Substitute Finn Ecrepont was the creator as he played a tempting free-kick into the box.
Quigg was lurking in the six-yard box and poked the ball home from close range.
Unfortunately, Alloa would pull level themselves for a second time.
A cross into the box from Grant Marchant was met at the near post by Rankin, who left Currie with little chance.
There would be one more chance for Stranraer to decide the game in 90 minutes.
James Dolan did well out wide and cut the ball back to Murray Binnie, who lifted his shot over the crossbar.
Instead, it would come down to penalties to decide the winner.
Gillie and Kenzi Nair saw their efforts saved by Stewart to put Alloa on top.
Currie denied Cameron O’Donnell but it proved not enough as the hosts enjoyed success.
Alloa Athletic: Stewart, O’Donnell, Taggart, Easdon, Foster, Marchant, Scougall (Pettifer 76), Cameron (Hetherington 46), McCafferty (Gallagher 46), Glasgow, Rankin.
Not used: Bruin, Donnelly, Graham, O’Connor, Walker and Green.
Stranraer: Currie, Coll (Ecrepont 70), Gillie, Nair, Dunne, Healy (Cleland 71), Bruce, Traynor (Stuart 65), Quigg, Hughes (Dolan 66), Dobbie (Binnie 80).
Not used: Lynch, McLuckie and Henderson.
Referee: Colin Steven
Attendance: 241
HT: 0-1
Photos: Ian Irvine-Watson