Jay Halliday described Inverurie Locos’ Scottish Cup second round loss to Dundee North End as a missed opportunity.
Midfielder Halliday had put the Railwaymen in front at Harlaw Park, but they ended up losing 3-1 after extra time and missed out on a place in round three for the first time since 2019.
Halliday, 22, said: “It’s gutting, we had opportunities to put the ball in the net and didn’t take them.
“Even in extra time we gave two sloppy goals away and it’s very frustrating.
“In the second half we didn’t take advantage of playing down the hill with the wind at our backs.
“We should have made more of it, but it’s one of those days where it didn’t go for us.
“We had plenty of chances, but the end product wasn’t there, a few of our games have been like that recently.
“It’s definitely a missed opportunity. Playing at home in the Scottish Cup against anyone I feel we can go through so it’s a big opportunity missed.”
Match action
Dundee North End had a strong breeze at their backs in the first period, but Locos looked livelier in attack and took an 18th minute lead.
Aidan Wilson spun and shot at the edge of the box with goalkeeper Grant Adam spilling the ball and Halliday converting the rebound from close range.
But the visitors, who won the Midlands League last season, responded well and equalised after half an hour when Frankie Devine curled a sublime free-kick from 25 yards into the top left corner.
Inverurie were unhappy that the goal was allowed to stand because the ball appeared to be moving as Devine struck it, but appeals to referee Keiran Traynor and assistant Megan McKay fell on deaf ears.
Halliday added: “I was in the wall and had a clear view of it. The wind moved the ball as he was coming to hit it.
“The referee said he didn’t see it and the assistant said she didn’t see it.”
Before the end of the first period Locos’ Aidan Wilson shot straight at Adam from 15 yards following Lloyd Robertson’s right-wing cross.
After the interval Inverurie did most of the probing, but were unable to take advantage.
Cole Anderson had a shot deflected narrowly over, then Adam parried an angled Anderson effort and Liam Gibb blocked on the rebound when Nathan Meres looked like having a tap in.
In the 73rd minute Daniel Agnew cut in from the left flank and curled his shot against the right post. Anderson also fired wide at the back post following Thomas Reid’s delivery from the right.
Visitors take their chances
But in extra time North End prevailed. In the 97th minute Devine played a corner into the feet of substitute Jaden Ferguson who blasted into the bottom right corner from 12 yards.
Four minutes later Devine’s curler from 20 yards was brilliantly tipped onto the crossbar by goalkeeper Louis Amann, but former Huntly player Cameron Blacklock finished the rebound.
Inverurie manager Dean Donaldson was disappointed with the outcome and feels he needs to add to his squad.
This was defender Logan Johnstone’s last outing before he moves to Melbourne.
Donaldson said: “Logan’s been brilliant since we came in and we’re disappointed to lose him.
“He’s going to be a big miss for us, he’s so easy to coach and manage and he’s an athlete up and down the left flank.
“It’s a tough one to take, we created enough chances in the 90 minutes to win the game.
“We didn’t play with the urgency I wanted in the second half. We had them penned in, but some boys just do enough when they could do more.
“I think some of them will be over it very quickly but for some of them it will really hurt.
“I’ve been speaking to the chairman about trying to get a few players in because we need some help.
“We are a good team but we do need some help when some players are tired or underperforming.
“I think this showed we probably need two or three players in.”
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