SAUCHIE boss Fraser Duncan doesn’t believe that a single player in his side deserved pass marks from the 2-0 home defeat to Newtongrange Star last weekend.

The Beechwood Park side had to endure a tough afternoon against the title-chasing side from West Lothian, but the gaffer believes his men simply handed their opponents the victory.

Duncan told Advertiser sport: “To say the result and performance was disappointing is a bit of an understatement. Our passing and possession of the ball was very poor and I honestly can’t make a case for any player who has played anywhere near their normal level.

“We just never got going right from the get go and it wasn’t really a case of them being too good. For a title-chasing side, they never really showed much, but we have gifted them the victory and I am not sure they will get an easier afternoon this season.

“That’s the biggest disappointment from our point of view because the least we should be able to do is put in a committed display and try to match them.

“The only one bonus for me was the return of Ally Burns after two years out injured and we are delighted to see him get back out there. We started really and were on top in the first 15 minutes, but as soon as they got their goal against the run of play, it really knocked the stuffing out of us and we never recovered. We just weren’t good enough and we need to fix it quickly.” Sauchie now travel to relegation-threatened Armadale in a re-run of their cup clash from two weeks ago when the Wee County side ran out comfortable 3-0 winners.

But Duncan reckons the league dynamics make it a totally different game.

He said: “The Armadale game now becomes a must-win after the results went against us last weekend. We have lost ground on the sides above us, and so there is still loads to play for. Armadale lost to Carnoustie so they will be looking to bounce back themselves and the fact that they are in there fighting for their lives makes it a very difficult game for us.

“The cup game was a different scenario and one we can take confidence from, but this one now has a totally different outlook to it with so much at stakes for both sides. We will have to battle for the victory, but we cannot go there with thoughts of anything other than picking up the three points.” Meanwhile, the 31-year-old admits he was left frustrated by yet another away draw in the fourth round of the Fife & Lothians Cup [to Dundonald], and is also critical of the league for blocking their attempts to blood some of their under-21 stars in the closing weeks of the season.

Duncan added: “It is really frustrating for us as to be away from home in the cup once again. It just seems like our name automatically goes into the away hat, but we will just have to get on with it. I’m not sure what the club has done to the authority because we have also been blocked from playing our under-21s in the remaining games of the season. The SJFA are saying it is because they have signed in an amateur league and it means there is so much red tape to get them into my first team squad. It is very frustrating for us as a club trying to follow the SFA’s new guidelines by creating a pathway to the first team and surely this is only hindering the development of young talent.”