SAUCHIE boss Fraser Duncan bemoaned a difficult start to the season as his side were defeated 2-0 by Dunbar United.

The Wee County side travelled to Dunbar and went one goal down before David Cross missed a penalty for the visitors. The home side were awarded a penalty of their own shortly after which was converted and they managed to see out the victory.

Duncan told Advertiser Sport: "It's a difficult one, obviously. I felt we started really well, we had a strong team even though we had three or four bodies missing from our starting line-up but we still had a strong squad.

"We've started the game really well and then one of their players has pulled out a worldie from 35 yards, fired it straight into the top corner, not really much we could have done about it to be honest.

"I was impressed after that, I thought the way we took a hold of the game; we looked dominant. We got on the ball, started knocking it about, we looked like the better side.

"It's probably the most frustrating game I've ever been involved in because we were the better side by a mile, but we just couldn't score a goal. We can't get that cutting edge in front of goal or that killer instinct in the box to go and score a goal.

"Not a great start, but the boys were told on Saturday exactly what's expected of them and we need to turn it around."

Duncan believes the pivotal moment of the game was the missed penalty as he thinks his side would have asserted themselves on the game had it went in.

"At the time we get the penalty we're miles on top of the game and I think if we score the penalty we'd probably go and win the game 4-or 5-1," he said.

"We miss the penalty then two or three of the younger boys start putting their head down and seem to be thinking it's not going to be our day today and that's exactly the way it turned out."

Despite the disappointment of the result, the boss had plenty of positives to take from the game into last night against Dundonald Bluebell, which kicked off after the Advertiser went to print.

He said: "It was disappointing but there's plenty of positives to take away from the game, we were outstanding in the way we played, the way we took control of the ball and passed the ball.

"We looked like a fluent passing team but unfortunately you need to have more than that, you can't just keep a hold of the ball; you need to be able to score goals and on Saturday we couldn't do that."

Despite positives being taken from the game, Duncan says he made it clear to the players that this was three points dropped and explained how a quick turnaround is required or else his side may find themselves adrift early on.

He continued: "We didn't do enough to win the game and I said to the boys it's three points dropped; three points wasted.

"We have a very difficult game [last night, after the Advertiser went to print] against Dundonald and an even more difficult game against Linlithgow Rose on Saturday so I don't want us to be caught short one week into the season so we've got to make sure that doesn't happen."