'Horrendous result' - East Fife assistant admits team let club down after Scottish Cup exit to Banks O'Dee

The Aberdeen-based visitors, who sit second in the fifth tier Highland League, sealed their spot in the third round thanks to a 22nd minute close-range header from Jevan Anderson.

Last season, the Fifers suffered similar disappointed when they lost out to East of Scotland Premier Division outfit Dunbar United by the same scoreline under ex-boss Greig McDonald.

And assistant manager Ian Campbell admitted that Saturday’s defeat was a “horrendous result for the club” and exactly what his side had coming for not approaching the tie in the right manner.

“It is a massive disappointment,” he told East Fife TV’s Oli Anderson. “I feel sorry for everyone invovled with the club; the chairman, the directors, everyone that goes with the place.

“We have no divine right to football matches. Banks O’Dee deserved it. They had a great attitude and we had to break them down but we got bullied all over the pitch.

“Did we get the ball down and pass? No. Did they allow us to do that? No. We weren’t at the races for the first twenty minutes and they got a goal ahead.

“We had territorial advantage in the second half but we never looked like scoring. We can only look at ourselves. In the forward areas especially.

“I wouldn’t say much about the referee – he didn’t help things either. Simply put we were very poor and it was unlike us. We’ll have to do something about that.

“It was a horrendous result for the club. The bottom line is that is was a cup tie and that wants it the most are the ones who are going to win it sadly.

“You learn from defeat. Our character wasn’t where it should be. The players let themselves down badly today.”

Table-topping East Fife now return to William Hill League Two action next Saturday when they host Alan Maybury’s Stirling Albion at the MGM Timber Bayview Stadium.

Ahead of that match, Campbell reckons the Fifers’ squad is still ‘short of where it needs to be’ if the team want to clinch the fourth tier title and automatic promotion to League One.

He said: “We’ve (the management team) done it over the years and we know. We have never kidded on – we are short of where we want to be if we are going to win this league, and we want to win this league. I think we have a chance of winning it.

“It is the most important game for us because it is the next one. Stirling are a good team and they have been doing better since we gave them a bit of a hammering.”