Peterhead manager Jim McInally believes his side showed how good they can be despite their 3-0 Scottish Cup exit against Dundee.
The Blue Toon delivered a creditable performance against Premiership opposition, ultimately bowing out of the competition at the last-16 stage.
Goals from Charlie Adam, Niall McGinn and former Peterhead loanee Josh Mulligan earned a below-part Dundee side a home tie against Rangers in the quarter-finals.
McInally was heartened by how his side showed up against full-time opponents after they were the more impressive team for large parts.
He said: “A 3-0 scoreline looks harsh. I asked them to be brave and play and that’s what cost us the penalty, but we kept at it.
“A lot of our players showed they’re good players. That’s what we’re trying to do here, take players of that age who have been at bigger clubs to try get them up the ladder again.
“There’s a lot to be pleased with. We’ve been playing well for a few weeks now. We lost to Alloa 1-0 when we’re on top.
“We need to start getting results but if we keep playing like that, we will.”
McInally felt his side were denied a stone-wall penalty in the first-half, after Dundee goalkeeper Ian Lawlor felled Ryan Duncan, but referee David Munro was unmoved.
He added: “He must have been the only person in the stadium who didn’t think it was a penalty.
“The goalkeeper has to go and that might have been in his mind. I had a text from Jim Duffy and he said it was one of the worst decision he’s ever seen.
“Only he (the referee) knows. It’s a big moment in the game because we were playing well. That makes a difference going in one each at half-time if we score it.
“There’s no explanation. If I was a Premiership manager I might get a phone call apologising. But being a wee diddy team, I’m pretty sure I won’t hear anything.”