James McPake admits he feels like he is ‘banging his head against a wall’ after Dunfermline exited the Premier Sports Cup.
A narrow 1-0 defeat away to Livingston leaves the Pars languishing on just three points after three games, with only a home clash with Cove Rangers remaining.
Robbie Muirhead’s 11th-minute strike, poking beyond an exposed and indecisive Deniz Mehmet, was the difference between the sides, who will face each other again in the league on the opening weekend in a fortnight.
McPake was content with the effort from his players after questioning their desire in the wake of the 2-0 loss to Forfar on Tuesday night.
However, with Chris Kane again missing through injury, Lewis McCann having to be removed with a tight hamstring and Craig Wighton short of fitness after a knee injury, the Pars boss appears increasingly frustrated by the strength of his squad.
“Obviously, I am disappointed with the result because it was another defeat,” he said.
“But I can’t ask any more from the players, in terms of effort. I thought that was there today.
“As a group, we were heavily criticised and I was pretty critical of the players after Tuesday night.
“The pleasing aspect is it’s not easy to come back after you’ve been criticised and sat in a dressing room for 45 minutes after a game.
McPake: ‘There’s a lot of work to do’
“In terms of the physical side, we stood up to it well. But there was a lack of quality, from both sides, I thought, at the top end.
“It’s disappointing we are out of the cup already.
“We need to get ready for the league because there’s a lot of work to do.”
Dunfermline suffered an injury ravaged campaign last season and approached this one hoping their small squad would not suffer the same misfortune.
But, with Matty Todd out for three months following surgery on his collarbone and Kane, Kyle Benedictus and Rhys Breen having already missed game-time in the cup, McPake sounded exasperated after the full-time whistle.
“We know the frailties in the squad,” he added. “We’ve taken Lewis McCann off because he had a tight hamstring.
“He told me he was okay to continue but I’m in a position where I can’t take a risk on an important player.
“They’re all important at the minute, when the squad’s like this.
“It’s tough when you have to take players off who can make an impact in the game.
“But I would much rather protect Lewis and have him right for the league starting.
‘Bubble wrap everybody’
“You could see the options Livingston had on the bench to change the game and change the game in the way it’s played.
“That’s the benefit of their squad over ours. We’re bringing kids on (Taylor Sutherland and Andrew Tod) and Craig Wighton when he’s not really ready to play.
“Chris Kane was not available again. It’s his ankle again.
“It’s tough when you can’t change the dynamics of the game from your bench, that’s for sure.
“I’m in a situation at the minute where it feels a wee bit like last season when I had to bubble wrap everybody, just with the the squad being so thin.
“You can probably hear the frustration in my voice. We are three games into the season and I’m banging my head against a wall and moaning, or the perception is I’m moaning.
“But I know the situation, I just need to deal with it.”
Meanwhile, Dunfermline were again without a substitute goalkeeper, for the third game in a row.
McPake refused to answer when asked the reason, but it is understood there was an issue with the registration of new short-term signing Kai McLean.
