'We just couldn't score' - Vale of Leithen boss Michael Wilson gutted by Scottish Cup exit

Mark Deya’s foul led to Vale conceding a 27th minute penalty which was converted by Darren Smith. And the tie was wrapped up after the break by Shaun Miller’s long range lob over home keeper Joshua Scoon in injury time.

It meant that the Innerleithen side – bottom of the East of Scotland Premier Division after four games – were put out by the team currently second in East of Scotland first division.

“I think we deserved more from the game,” Wilson told The Southern Reporter. “I think a draw would have been a fair result.

"The penalty was a penalty but I don’t know what Mark was doing. I think it was that bad a tackle it probably could have been two penalties! He has literally just scythed the boy down.

"They maybe had the better of the first five or 10 minutes of the second half but after that it just just relentless from us.

"We pressed them into their half and our goalie had maybe one save to make from a corner.

"We were one on one with their keeper four times but just couldn’t score.

"That’s something we’re going to have to remedy. We are creating chances but boys aren’t finishing them off.

"For the last goal there were 40 seconds to go and we had pushed everybody up, our goalie was on the halfway line and he was chipped.

"We had a lot of chances. Their goalie’s had a lot of good saves, as has ours.

"Take away the penalty and our goalie wouldn’t have had to be about 60 yards off his line in injury time.

"Small margins are killing us, mistakes again. I’m gutted.”

After last week’s news that Wilson had booted out players who weren’t attending training sessions, he revealed that he has now released another player who failed to attend the Dunbar game.

"It’s absolutely horrendous conduct,” he added. “I spoke to the boys and told them exactly what’s happened and they are almost like a family, really tight.

"Anyone who’s not got that same mentality we don’t want. This club has had mercenaries and passengers for far too long and it stops now.

"The core of the team we’ve got are good. It’s just been a couple of rotten apples that we don’t want leaking out because they drip poison into the squad and it’s not acceptable.”

Back into their league campaign, Wilson’s men host Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale tonight (Tuesday) before visiting Tynecastle this Saturday.

Wilson, who hopes to boost his 15-man squad to 20 players by making new signings this summer, added: “It’s two huge games.

"Lothian have got no points and Tynecastle have got three points.

"Lothian is probably the biggest game of the season so far, take away Saturday.

"The only good thing about Tynecastle is it’s about 10 minutes from my house. I don’t have to travel about 40 miles.”