ABERDOUR coach Lisa MacColl insists the club’s youngsters can take heart from their performance despite losing to Tayforth on Saturday.

With the first team not in action, all eyes on were on ‘Dour’s seconds at Silver Sands as they faced up to the promotion-chasers and Craig Callaghan’s side were unfortunate to end with a 2-1 defeat.

Tayforth, whose victory moved them top of South Division Two, had won the reverse fixture in March 6-0 but the improvement in an Aberdour side – the majority of whom were aged between 14-17 – was considerable.

The West Fifers began on the front foot but two goals in the space of three minutes around the half-hour mark from Finlay Stark and David Arnott saw them fall behind.

Kieran Burns finished off a good passing move on the hour mark to halve the deficit but they couldn’t find an equaliser.

MacColl said: “It was a huge improvement and it was nice that some of the Tayforth guys said how much we’d come on afterwards, so that is great for Craig and the team.

“The second team have really come on and there’s an incentive there as they’ve seen the likes of David MacDougall and Ali Abbott move up and play in the first team.”

The first team are back in action this afternoon as they face Oban Celtic (throw-up 3.45pm) in a potentially pivotal game in the South Division promotion race at Silver Sands.

Immediately before this clash Silver Sands will host the Sutherland Cup semi-final tie between Tayforth and Newtonmore seconds. Throw-up is at 1.30pm.