Mark McGhee 'disappointed' by senior players in Arbroath defeat

Steven Doris grabbed the winning goal for the Lichties and it was a deserved victory for Dick Campbell’s men against a very young ‘Well outfit.

However senior players like Lionel Ainsworth, Kieran Kennedy and Joe Chalmers failed to impress their superiority over their League Two opponents and the manager wasn’t too happy.

He said: “It was a workout, it’s more game-time for our players, but I was disappointed with the overall quality of our performance.

“I thought with Lionel and Kennedy and Chalmers, boys with first team experience, we could and should have done a lot better.

“We didn’t learn a lot but you get the opportunity to say to someone oh you need to do better than that. Boys like Lionel and the ones we’ve mentioned should be coming here and standing out, but there were no standouts and that’s disappointing.”

Ainsworth looked to find Chris Cadden with a lovely cross in the second minute, but Colin Hamilton was able to nod the ball into the path of goalkeeper Robbie Mutch.

Dylan Mackin sent Ainsworth’s cross well over the bar before Omar Kader’s strike was blocked by Jack McMillan at the other end.

A raft of substitutions killed whatever small tempo the game had built up before the break but trialist Junior Ogen went very close just after an hour, firing wide from 20 yards.

Kader then went close again, rifling a half volley into the side netting after Kane Hester nodded a cross into his path.

Doris rattled the crossbar from 25 yards or so after MacLean’s poor pass in the game’s best opportunity.

Doris finally got the Lichties on the scoresheet in the 88th minute, curling the ball beyond Brill after trialist Gary Phillips found the striker with a terrific cross.