SHOT-STOPPER Chic Bell insists he side did not deserve their defeat as Sauchie Juniors were beaten in the final moments of their Scottish Cup match.

Sauchie’s historic Scottish Cup run came to an end after a 3-1 loss to Dumbarton as goalkeeper Bell had a phenomenal game for the Reds.

Bell made some crucial stops to keep the game tied at 1-1, including a superb point-blank block as he saved the ball on the goal line, as Sauchie searched for a late winner.

Reflecting back after the match, Bell said: “It’s difficult to take, I thought the boys were, to a man, a different class.

“I don’t think we deserved that one bit, but that’s the way it goes sometimes in football.”

Bell proved just how valuable he is to the squad throughout the match and, when asked about his own individual heroics, said: “I’m just doing my job.

“It’s just hard to take for the lads, I think we done well and done the club proud, it’s all we can ask for.”

The keeper also felt the 3-1 scoreline didn’t reflect the game.

“It’s not the story of that game," he continued. "I think they were panicking at one point and were throwing everybody on, and I thought we defended from back to front, to a man, a different class.”

Bell also had high praise for the fans, as he said: “I think that’s different class, see for a local area like Sauchie you look up and see them. Hopefully, the club can kick on from now as I thought the fans were tremendous.

“They never stopped for a minute, from the first minute to the last."

The team will clearly hurt after the result, but Bell said the club can look back with pride at their run.

“The boys are disappointed but at the same time we know how well we’ve done to get here,” Bell said. “But you’re not celebrating putting in a good performance it is tough to take, but we’ve got to have a wee reality check at points and think where we have come and from where we have been.

“Third round of our first Scottish Cup, you can’t grumble, it’s just sore to take – last minute in the game, but as I said that’s football.”

Bell is hopeful that Sauchie are now able to take the momentum from a great performance against Dumbarton and use it to focus on climbing up the league.

He said: “We hope to kick on and push up that league as I think we are in a false position in the league and, hopefully, this is the turning point.”