Dunfermline manager Jim Jefferies heaped praise on his young side as they exited the League Cup in agonising fashion to bitter rivals Falkirk.
The Pars “battered” their hosts after the break, according to Jefferies, but, after going behind twice, could not on this occasion find the goals required to produce another comeback to rival last Saturday’s stunning 5-4 victory over Stenhousemuir.
The Bairns had a superb 32nd-minute strike from Jay Fulton to thank for booking their place in the third round after Jordan Moore had cancelled out an own goal from team-mate Callum Morris.
Jefferies said: “I think we were the better team, I don’t think there’s any doubt. We started the game really well and then we conceded an own goal against the run of play, which settled Falkirk down, because we made the better start.
“Then we scored a good equaliser and had a couple of other opportunities, but sometimes you get a bit of naivety with the young boys and they didn’t track the runner and Fulton got in behind us for their second.
“There’s no doubt we came out of the traps great in the second half and for half an hour we just battered them and we had great chances to score.
“But I think they showed enough in that opening half an hour in the second half to at least take it into extra-time and maybe could have done enough to win it.”
A battle was expected and the frenetic opening exchanges did nothing to alter that prediction, but the breakthrough arrived in 18 minutes and was a personal nightmare for Morris.
Stephen Kingsley cut open the visitors’ defence with a great ball to Kieran Duffie on the right edge of the area. The full-back’s driven cross looked slightly mis-hit but Morris’s attempt at a cut-out ricocheted agonisingly past Ryan Scully and into his own net.
Given that he bagged a brace in Saturday’s win, it was no surprise that on-loan Dundee United teenager Moore was the spark again for Dunfermline in the 28th minute. The 19-year-old found space to receive Ryan Thomson’s knock-down 12 yards out and rifled his shot past Michael McGovern.
The lead was to last just four minutes, however, as Falkirk scored a second of sublime quality. Jay Fulton fed Phil Roberts, who in turn found Craig Sibbald.
His pass was perfection and Fulton brilliantly continued his run to curl past Scully from 12 yards.
McGovern then pulled off a magnificent double save from Ryan Wallace and Ryan Thomson headers as Dunfermline sought another riposte and the Northern Ireland internationalist was forced into another smart save at the feet of Moore shortly after the break.
There was no denying both clubs’ passion for the tie and an almighty 62nd- minute scramble in which Falkirk somehow repelled their visitors three times inside a crowded six-yard box epitomised the action.
The chances of a Pars comeback appeared to increase as time wore on and substitute Allan Smith and Andy Geggan peppered McGovern’s goal without success, before skipper Josh Falkingham screwed his shot wastefully high and wide with 18 minutes left.