Penalty pain for Dunipace in cup final as boss bemoans conceding four penalties

But Sunday’s RJM Sports East of Scotland League Cup final was a first for him and probably everyone who attended the match between the DCL Westfield side and Hill of Beath Hawthorn.

The ’Pace lost 6-3 to Robbie Raeside’s team – who won the East of Scotland Premier Division and will join Dunipace in the new Lowland League East next term – despite Smith’s side going three goals up after just 13 minutes.

And the big talking point after the match in Blackburn wasn’t the nine goals or the Haws’ remarkable comeback – but the fact that referee Konrad Spalony handed the Fife outfit four penalties.

"Some of the decisions were questionable… I think that is putting it lightly,” Smith said. “The Hill of Beath players weren’t even asking for some of them, which says it all. I am very disappointed with so many things.

"I can’t remember being involved in a match that had four penalties go to one team – and the reason for that is because it doesn’t happen at this level of football. A decent level with standards and such like. The facts are that you don’t see four penalties go to one team at the elite level. You see these sort of things at under-10 football but not in the senior pyramid, in a cup final.”

Reviewing the heavy defeat, Smith added: “We scored three excellent goals. It was a perfect start as such. Sean Heaver in particular has made two moments of brilliance count with the opener catching the goalkeeper out and then the free-kick. Sam (Colley) has did his job to finish the second goal too.

“It was then all about managing it. And we simply didn’t do that at all. Everything we did after scoring the third goal was the opposite of what we had to do at that point. We were playing right into Hill of Beath’s hands. What they would have wanted to happen happened. They managed the match from that point way better.

“Decisions change games. Early doors in the match, Robbie (Raeside) was booked by the referee. After that, it felt like all the decisions went one way. At that point, with a team 3-0 down, it is easy to give decisions. In my opinion, most of the decisions, even the small ones, were wrong. That’s not an excuse because we were 3-0 up and found ourselves drawing 3-3 at half-time.

“I felt we had to get the next goal after the break. That was the big thing for me. Losing a fourth goal makes it so hard to dig that deep. I can’t complain about the group though, this was our 50th week of a long season. And we have earned promotion to the Lowland League.”

Newly-promoted ‘Pace finished third in the Premier Division, just two points off Haws, and they now have a big summer ahead of playing fifth tier football for the first time next season.

Smith said: “We have exciting times ahead now and it will be a much-deserved and needed break now. It will be massive for the club to play in the Lowland League against so many big clubs. The annoying thing for me is that I went into this cup final thinking that it was a realistic target for us to win it. And we got into a great position today to do just that.”