Sauchie boss Fraser Duncan was delighted with his side’s fighting spirit after a battling 0-0 draw with Penicuik at Beechwood Park last weekend.

The Clackmannanshire outfit had the better of the chances in the first half before having to stand up to a late onslaught from the on-form rivals and the gaffer believes it shows exactly what they are made of.

The manager was particularly pleased with his defensive line who had withstand a thorough examination from the physicality of their Super League opponents.

Duncan told Advertiser sport: “I thought we started the game well and at a high tempo and to be honest with the chances that we missed in the first half then we are maybe unfortunate not to take something more from the game.

“On the balance of play, the draw is probably a fair result and I think it would be harsh on the players to see it as two points dropped considering how difficult a side they are to play against.

“They are a tough and physical side who really impose themselves on teams and a real threat from set plays so I was delighted that we were able to stand up to that.

“I thought Jon Tully along with Darren and Steven Dolan were terrific for us in defence. Darren in particular was superb with some key punches and clearances for us and you can see his confidence growing at the moment.

“I think being able to withstand the late bombardment from Penicuik proves we are full of confidence at the minute and that was our third clean sheet on the bounce.

“We are also five unbeaten as well which is good for me because it shows the boys are prepare to dig in and fight for every result.

“We went into the game knowing it would be a difficult task with them being in such good form and being so high up the table. They have had some good results this season, but all I said to the boys was to try to make Beechwood Park a hard place for teams to come.

“We know that things can change quickly in this league so that is why it is important to have a firm grounding and a solid defence.” Sauchie squad now put their current unbeaten run to the ultimate test this weekend when they travel to face high-flying Musselburgh on Saturday, and Duncan is well aware that his side may have to adjust their normal style to get something from the game.

He said: “We have already beaten Musselburgh this season at home, but we know they are a good side and it will be a totally different test for us at their ground.

“It is a tight little pitch that suffocates the type of football that we like to play a little bit, but we will have to make the necessary adjustments.

“We are just going to have to look to play more direct and try to take advantage from the set plays. We will work on being more creative with our set pieces and hopefully if we can get that little bit more quality of delivery into the box then we can still go there and cause some problems.” The Beechwood Park faithful had to say a fond farewell to one of their heroes at the weekend as former St Johnstone striker Collin Samuel played his last game for the club before he heads home to his native Trinidad for a spell.

And while the former World Cup star hasn’t ruled out returning before the end of the current season, his gaffer is just thankful for all he has done for the club in his time in Clackmannanshire.

Duncan added: “Collin Samuel played his last game for us on Saturday and we are sad to see him go. He has been a great servant to the club in his time here and the fans all gave him a great ovation after the game on Saturday. He almost gave them the perfect send off with a chance in the last minute of the game, but it wasn’t to be.

“He is still adament that there is a good chance he might be back in January, but we will have to wait and see.”