SAUCHIE JUNIORS boss Fraser Duncan admits his men simply didn’t show up in the DFT Fife and Lothians Cup final after the 1-0 loss to Camelon.

The former Ipswich Town trainee was left gutted by his side’s performance on the day as their bitter rivals took the silverware and the bragging rights.

But the Beechwood Park gaffer believes his men still deserve a huge pat on the back for one of the club’s best ever seasons.

Duncan told Advertiser sport: “The final was such a hard one to take because we simply never showed up on the day. It is difficult to pinpoint any positives at all from it. We had far too many players off the boil and only two or three who tried to pull us through with hard graft, but it just didn’t happen for us.

“We lost a scrappy goal where we have left a man free on the edge of the area at a corner and it was just stupid. We looked a bit better in the second half, but despite a couple of half chances late on, we were never really able to test them.

“We didnt deserve anything from the gsmr and congratulations to Camelon on the win. Young Stuart Love had a chance to turn himself into a hero late on and he did ever so well to turn his marker and get his shot away, but it goes wide and that’s the way the whole day went for us.

“As a manager I am absolutely gutted with the defeat because this group of players deserved to end such a wonderful season with a trophy, but it just wasn’t meant to be.

“They are a very physical side and there were a few elbows and nasty tackles that I felt the referee struggled to get to grips with, but we struggled with that as well.

“They played a very direct style with long balls forward and we struggled to play our normal game as a result. The players have been outstanding for two or three months and deserved something for their efforts, but it wasn’t to be.” Duncan now has the monumental task of trying to top the club’s highest ever league finish next season and without their talisman Darren Cummings, who now departs for Bo’ness United, but the gaffer says he is ready for the challenge.

He said: “We had our highest ever league finish this year in so we have our work cut out for ourselves to go and improve on that now.

“Building on this next year now is already going to be a huge task for me with the loss of one of our key players in Darren Cummings. To lose a player of his quality is frustrating for me, but that’s football and we just need to pick ourselves up and look to the future now.

“Darren has been a great servant to the club and I want to thank him for all the wonderful memories he has given us, but we cannot stand still and so we will move on quickly.” The 31-year old boss plans to promote a number of the club’s successful under 21s squad to the first team next season, but knows he has a long summer of recruitment ahead.

Duncan added: “We have some good youngsters coming through and it is important that we bring them on.

“I have already got a few signings lined up, but we are going to need them for what I have no doubts will be our toughest task yet.”