BARRHEAD YFC under-21s manager Chris Wilson has urged his players to use their Scottish Cup final pain as motivation to go one better next year.

Barrhead were backed by a large travelling support from the town at Airdrie’s Excelsior Stadium on Sunday as they faced Rutherglen Glencairn in the showpiece final.

But their hopes of glory were dashed as Glencairn scored two goals in four first-half minutes, Barrhead pulled a goal back but couldn’t find the equaliser and had to watch on as Rutherglen lifted the most prestigious trophy in youth football.

However the squad will stay together as only two players will be too old for the age group next season, and Wilson insists the team will be better for the painful final loss and has set his sights on lifting the trophy next year.

He said: “Out of the 19 signed players we have, only two of them will be too old. We’ve identified a list of three or four players we’d like to bring in to strengthen the squad.

“The nucleus of the squad is there and with a couple of tweeks we can can go one better next season. Our opponents on Sunday, seven of their starting 11 will be too old next year.

“Those boys were hurting on Sunday and they can use that as motivation for next year.”

Wilson was blunt in his assessment of the final and conceded the better team won on the day.

The manager reserved special thanks for the support the team received from the local community before the game and those who turned out on the day.

He added: “Being brutally honest I don’t think we deserved it. Our preparation was fantastic, but we had a five minute spell of madness and lost two goals.

“Credit to the players they did really well to get back into the game and get a goal back, then we missed a really good chance to make it 2-2.

“I think if that goes in and we go in 2-2 at half-time, we would’ve went on to win it. We had some chances in the second half but it just wasn’t our day. The support we had from the town was unbelievable.”