FRASER DUNCAN bemoaned Sauchie’s inexperience as they crashed out of the Scottish Cup in the last sixteen.

The Juniors were narrowly beaten by Hurlford United, and the manager believes his side should have dealt with the visitors’ winning goal.

And he was gutted that the Beechwood Park outfit couldn’t capitalise on a positive start and reach the quarter final stage for the second year in a row.

Duncan told Advertiser Sport: “We don’t have enough experience and we just weren’t streetwise enough. We had a crack at it but it’s just not been good enough.

"We’re disappointed all round because we felt that Hurlford were there for the taking, but we never showed up.

“We showed up in the first 20 minutes and being honest, I thought we were going to steamroller them. But they noticed that early doors and we didn’t take the couple of half-chances we created. They did well to stop us from getting anything.

“The goal changed the game and for me it’s a mistake. It’s a lapse of concentration that’s come about because two boys are having an argument.

"For me that was really poor and that’s the kind of thing I mean when I’m talking about experience. You can’t give teams like Hurlford an opportunity because you’re not concentrating.”

Duncan now wants his players to respond by maintaining their Superleague status, with the Wee County side’s focus firmly on avoiding an immediate return to the second tier.

He said: “The hardest week you’ll ever have in training is the week after you get put out of the Scottish Cup, but we’ve got to find a way to pick ourselves up.

"We have got to rejuvenate ourselves now and focus on the league. We need a reaction from the players now.”

Sauchie travel to Lochee United next week looking for a vital win which would lift them further away from the relegation zone, but the manager is in no doubt as to how tough a test it will be for his team.

Duncan added: “Next week is a really hard game up at Lochee and to be honest it’s one of the ones I’d have preferred to have out the way by now. But we have got to make sure we are up for it.”