ALLOA player-manager Jim Goodwin could not hide his disappointment after his side’s Scottish Cup fourth round exit at the hands of Dunfermline.

The Wasps were tipped to cause an upset against their local rivals, but were unable to mount a comeback after the visitors had gone 3-0 ahead, despite two late goals from Stefan McCluskey and Greig Spence.

But the Alloa boss says that despite the result, he is proud of his players for battling until the very end.

Goodwin told Advertiser Sport: “We are disappointed. We knew the threat Dunfermline offered and we had spoken before the game about how dangerous they were on the break and things like that.

"It’s an old cliché but goals change games, and the first one was disappointing from our point of view. The second was a bit of a killer blow just before half time. At that stage the next goal was crucial. If we had got it we would have been right back in the game but unfortunately they went and got it. It was a hell of a strike to be fair. But as always the boys showed that they never give in and kept going right to the end. We scored a couple of decent goals and kept fighting until the final whistle.”

Goodwin was pleased with the performances of new signings Frank McKeown and Stefan McCluskey, with McKeown playing a starring role in defence on his first start, while McCluskey came off the bench to score with his first touch.

He said: “You hope that your substitutes can have a positive impact and both our new signings did well. Frank was outstanding match and Stef went on and scored. That is the kind of impact we are hoping for from them but it is just disappointing that they weren’t on the winning side at the end of the day.”

Goodwin insisted that his side will now be fully focused on their League One form as they look to close the gap to leaders Livingston and secure an immediate return to the Championship following relegation last season.

He added: “The cup competitions are great and we have already been to two quarter-finals this season. We fancied ourselves to go a bit further when the draw was made but credit to Dunfermline. Now our main focus is on the league. Our main ambition from the start of the season was to get out of this league and by hook or by crook we will keep trying to do that.”