Buckie Thistle boss Lewis MacKinnon was proud of his players’ efforts in their 5-2 defeat against Dundee United in the Premier Sports League Cup.
The Breedon Highland League champions performed with great credit against Premiership opposition in this Group B encounter.
With the score at 2-4 in the final 20 minutes the Jags had United rattled for a spell.
But a highly contentious penalty awarded by referee Calum Scott against Mark Ridgers extinguished hopes of a sensational comeback.
MacKinnon said: “I’m proud of the boys, it was another good performance from us.
“In each game we’ve played in the group we’ve got better and gone up another level.
“We stuck to our shape and were hard to break down. Mark Ridgers didn’t have as many saves as he had against Falkirk on Saturday and we attacked with plenty of threat.
“I thought when we got the second goal we were on top and unfortunately the referee made a pretty dubious call against Mark.
“I don’t agree with it, but it is what it is. The penalty takes the gloss off things because we had the momentum and had them on the ropes a wee bit.
“They struggled to clear a few corners and we’d a few sniffs at goal, including a good save by the keeper from Josh Peters.
“It’s annoying, but I look at the bigger picture in terms of the performance which was good.”
Battling Buckie performance
United opened the scoring on 19 minutes when Louis Moult’s pinpoint pass released Kristijan Trapanovski and he finished tidily into the bottom left corner from 12 yards.
Just after the half hour mark the Tangerines doubled their advantage. Kai Fotheringham beat the offside trap and went down under Joe McCabe’s sliding challenge with referee Scott pointing to the spot.
Home protests that Fotheringham had played for the contact fell on deaf ears and Kevin Holt tucked the penalty into the right corner.
Three minutes into the second period Buckie pulled a goal back. Joe McCabe rose well at the front post to head home Jack MacIver’s right-wing corner from six yards.
In the 53rd minute United restored their two-goal cushion. Vicko Sevej burst down the right flank and his low cross was tapped in at the back post by Trapanovski.
The Tangerines’ fourth came just after the hour mark when David Babunski found the net after cutting inside from the left of the penalty area following a spell of pressure.
Tale of two penalties
But Buckie rallied again and they made it 2-4 midway through the second half.
Fraser Robertson’s effort was saved by goalkeeper David Richards and from the corner that followed Sevej pulled down Sam Pugh.
After referee Scott awarded the penalty MacIver found the left corner.
The Jags’ tails were up and a snap-shot from sub Josh Peters was tipped away by Richards at full stretch.
But with quarter of an hour left any hopes of a comeback were snuffed out when United were awarded a second penalty.
Thistle goalkeeper Mark Ridgers challenged Will Ferry with the custodian appearing to play the ball behind for a corner.
But to the shock of everyone in the ground referee Scott pointed to the spot and Holt picked out the right corner again.
Buckie finish their League Cup campaign against Ayr United at Somerset Park on Saturday.