Tayport 'just didn't get going' in cup defeat to Forfar United, says player-boss Daryl McKenzie

With the Canniepairt side stuck in eighth place in the league, 17 points off top spot, McKenzie also admitted that the cup was going to be the focus for his side going into the tail end of the campaign.

“I want to be honest,” he told the Fife Herald. “We did want a cup run in this competition, I wanted it to be the focus for going into the latter part of the campaign. When you at the league, the highest we can finish is sixth, or fifth at a push.

“The best chance of silverware was to go on a run in this competition. Forfar are a good team, they have beaten us and Lochee United at home this year.

“In the league they are in the highest position I have ever seen them in a good 15 years, so although we beat them convincingly earlier on in the season, I wouldn’t say it was a case of us really having been on the end of an upset.

“That would be unfair to Forfar. But for us what the result shows is that we have a long way to go.”

On the match, which Tayport lost 1-0 away from after conceding a 55th minute goal, he added: “We just didn’t get going at all. We had to make a few enforced changes through a cup-tied player and a few injuries, but we didn’t get started at all.

“Forfar thoroughly deserved their victory on the day and we couldn’t argue with the scoreline – we had a late flurry with half an hour to go, but that was after I had five substitutes on the pitch.

“We could have got a late goal to take it penalties but I think being honest with ourselves, the performance just wasn't anywhere near the levels we can reach as a group.

“We’ve done well in recent weeks but we just didn’t turn up. I have to look into that because even after a rollicking at half time, we still played the same way.

“What we do have is a young group and a new team, and you do just sometimes get days like that during a season. I just didn’t expect it to be on Saturday.”

Meanwhile, Newburgh Juniors picked up an away point from their East of Scotland Second Division clash with Peebles on Saturday.

The 0-0 draw keeps them five points above the relegation places as they look to stay up.