Reserves' Narrow Defeat

Roger Cross' reserve side completed their campaign against Watford - their second game in two consecutive nights - on Wednesday evening.

A very young line up narrowly lost 1-0, and Roger says:

"It was always going to be a difficult game because it was our second in two days; and it was tough because Watford had to win this game to win the league which made it that much harder.

"But we worked hard and gave it as much as we could, even though we lost by that odd goal."

And that odd goal?

"It was a cross from our left hand side, and the lads felt it was offside after their lad got in behind Anton Ferdinand," says Roger.

Looking at the overall campaign in the FA Premier Reserve League [south], Roger says:

"For the reserves it has been a good season; we have finished fifth, and a good fifth as well, but the biggest problem, as I have told you before, is that we don't score many goals.

"We don't concede many either and defensively it has been very, very good.

"We have drawn a few games and if we had turned a few of those into wins it could have been us at the top.

"It has been a good season but we have just failed to score enough goals.

"We have lost the least amount of games of anyone in the league - only five out of 26 - and I have been pleased with the lads all season.

"It is a learning league, there is no doubt about that, but we try to emphasise the importance of winning as well as learning.

"It is very important that they learn to win - and want to win as well."

SQUAD: Bywater, Ferdinand A, Blewitt, Byrne, Iriekpen, Ward, McLenehan, Lumsden, Garcia, Pearson, McMahon, Akinsete, Jackson, Tattum, Cole, Laws.

Meanwhile, Scotland manager Berti Vogts has picked Christian Dailly and Don Hutchison to play in the B international against Northern Ireland later in the month.

And still north of the border - depending on what your border is, but you know what we mean - Dunfermline have signed former young striker Billy Mehmet, the former U19 captain, released this summer, after a month's trial.