IAIN DIACK was full of praise for his Sauchie side as they blew Edinburgh University away in the South Challenge Cup.

The Reds outclassed their opponents on Saturday as a brace from Mark Finlayson and goals Terry Hewitt and David Cross secured the 4-0 win.

It was the second time this season Diack’s charges have knocked out opposition from the Lowland League, as they added to their earlier Dalbeattie Star scalp.

And after the game, the gaffer insisted the performance and result came as no surprise to him or the side.

Diack told Advertiser Sport: “I am delighted with them and their performance against a team that would have fully expected to come and beat us today.

“They are top half of the Lowland League and doing well and, apart from maybe the first fifteen minutes or so, we got to grips with the game and could have been two or three up by half time.

“I said to the boys after it that it could have been six or seven; they were just brilliant to a man.”

The win made it seven wins in Sauchie’s last eight, with only a bad day at the office to Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale a blight on their recent record.

Despite their underdog tag against Edinburgh, Diack was keen to see his side play without fear.

Diack continued: “I’ve played in sides before and under managers who would build up teams who are a higher status than you as the boogeyman.

“Before the game, I told them that they had all played in the Superleague at the Juniors; that Edinburgh were a very similar standard; and that they weren’t going to see anything they hadn’t seen before.

“We just had to go out and do what we’ve been doing. It was about us looking after ourselves.”

Diack stuck with the team who had produced a battling performance to beat Dalkeith Thistle last weekend, with only Cameron Cairney, who took the place of the on-holiday Darren Dolan, coming into the side.

It meant Darren Cross and Mark Sharp found themselves at fullback, Mark Finlayson at left wing, and Ross Crawford once again leading the line.

Meanwhile, Diack was able to reintroduce Darren Cummings and Craig Donaldson off the bench as they stepped up their return from injury, while Conor Langton was an unused substitute.

Diack said: “I’m not one for just taking boys out of the team who have played so well – everybody has to earn their place.

“They’d earned the right to go again and it worked out pretty well for us.

“Craigy came in last week, but it was just a week too early for him. It was good to have him back and when he came on you could see that he brings a lot of quality on the ball.

“With Darren you are a bit reluctant to push him too soon, but he’s another one who has been arguably one of our best players this season.

“We gave him fifteen minutes at the end and he’s come through it unscathed.”