SAUCHIE star Ant McTaggart reckons the narrow 2-1 win over Haddington in the East of Scotland Cup last weekend was their toughest test this season.
Fraser Duncan’s men had to come from behind to seal their place in the next round as a double from skipper Brian Morgan helped them extend their flawless start to the new season with six wins out of six competitive games.
The highly rated young midfielder believes that a combination of a fresh approach on the training pitch and a much more competitive squad have been the key factors in their red-hot early season form.
McTaggart told Advertiser Sport: “Haddington was definitely our toughest test so far this season. They are a very good team and pushed us to the limit.
“They led 1-0 and missed a few chances, but we eventually fought our way back into the game, got our equaliser and then we were able to snatch a winner late on.
“This win sums up the spirit with our team this year. It is a lot better than last year because we kept going right up until the end and got our rewards with a last-minute penalty.
“There is a really good buzz about the place this season and we go into every game expecting to win it.”
He added: “We have a much more competitive squad this season. There is far more competition for places so we are all keeping each other on our toes.
“I had a late start to the campaign because of holidays and I struggled to get back into the team for a bit.
“Now that I have the jersey I know that I have to work my socks off and perform to my best every week or there is someone waiting to take my place and that is a really healthy thing for the squad.
“We have also had a real freshness at the club with the arrival of Adrian Hanson into the fold as Fraser’s number two. We all loved Davie Beaton and he is still sorely missed around the place, but the addition of Adrian and Iain Diack also helping out has brought a lot of new ideas and a fresh approach which all the boys seem to be enjoying.”
McTaggart and the rest of the Beechwood Park outfit are back on league duty this weekend as they play host to Whitburn and the 23-year-old knows they must be wary against complacency after such an explosive start.
He said: “We have had a great start to the season, but we certainly won’t get carried away with it. We have another tough game this weekend with the visit of Whitburn to Beechwood Park.
“Obviously, with it being at home, it gives us a great chance to extend our 100 per cent start to the season, but we know it won’t be easy.
“Whitburn are a decent team and actually beat us in a friendly last season so we will be wary of them heading into it, but they will also not be too excited about meeting us in such a rich vein of form so it should be an exciting game.
“We’re still full of confidence that we can go in there and get the three points, but it is not a time to start taking games lightly. We will continue to build one game at a time and see how far it takes us.”