SAUCHIE JUNIORS delivered a clinical performance on Saturday as manager Fraser Duncan learned from afar.

The gaffer was called into work at the last minute and was unable to take his side to face Jeanfield Swifts.

His management staff of Darren Cummings, Iain Syme, Jon Tully and Andy Brown took the team for the day and oversaw a comfortable 5-0 win, with four goals from Ross Kavanagh and one from Danny Smith.

Duncan told Advertiser Sport: "It was a great result; the boys have been fantastic for the last few weeks. I can't fault them.

"We've been working really hard, putting our heads down and pinpointed a few things in the team that we want to improve and we've done that.

"We've worked on those things for the last three or four weeks now and it's really showing. The reports I'm getting from the game were that the boys were outstanding from start to finish.

"The boys passed the ball really well; they were right at it, pressed hard and all these things are paying off.

"To go up there, that's probably the hardest place in the league to go if I'm being honest. Dundonald, Crossgates and Jeanfield are probably three of the hardest five [places to go in the league] and we've went there and picked up maximum points so that's massive and really pleasing for me.

"The management team are knocking our heads together and now the guys are coming in on a Saturday, they know exactly what their jobs are, the standards that are required and they've went beyond that to be honest.

"I'm chuffed to bits, really, really happy with the way things are going at the moment but the guys know the targets.

"We set a target for the last couple of weeks and the guys have matched that target. Now we've set a target from now until the end of the year and if the guys can match that then it's a great first half of the season."

Kavanagh's four goals take him to 21 for the season and Duncan is thrilled with his output and that of his teammates.

"He's a great lad," he said. "I've got a squad full of great lads at the minute. I enjoy working with every one of them, every one of them has got a great attitude.

"Kav's attitude is first class, he's working hard on his game, he's there after training. To go and get four goals on Saturday, he's not surpassing my expectations because he set standards and I know he can do that.

"A big part of his success on Saturday was having Sam Davidson back in the team. Sam's got the quality we really need and he came back into the team on Saturday and he was outstanding, he's making a lot of things tick for Kav."

Sauchie's next two games are both at Beechwood, beginning with the visit of Kinnoull on Wednesday night in the East of Scotland Qualifying Cup before they welcome Inverkeithing in the league on Saturday.

Duncan said: "Two wins this week is what we need. It's all about getting that consistency to keep us going.

"The guys have got that wee bit of confidence from that Scottish Cup tie [against Bonnyrigg Rose] and we need to keep that going.

"This week will be difficult but we need to keep putting results on the table and that starts on Wednesday night."