James McPake said Dunfermline hope to add another new signing soon after defeat at KDM Group East End Park.
Negotiations are ongoing with a player, the identity of which the Dunfermline manager is keeping to himself.
McPake was speaking after his side’s 2-0 loss to Kilmarnock in the Viaplay Cup through goals from Fraser Murray and Kyle Vassell.
The Pars can now only take a maximum of eight points from Group F and will be relying on results elsewhere to progress.
Slow start
“For an hour, we were decent. We didn’t start the game well at all,” said McPake.
“We didn’t start the game well at all, it’s becoming a wee bit of an issue.
“There’s been a few games like that: when something goes against us we take a wee while to get into it.
“It’s something we need to address, and we will.
“You usually get out a game what you deserve and Killie deserved to win it.
“They did the hard thing in that game and scored two goals.”
Praise for Tod
One player who drew praise from the Pars boss was Andrew Tod, who started on the right of the front three.
“He was excellent. I’m not surprised, he’s definitely ready,” said McPake.
“I told Andrew we weren’t throwing him into the team because we needed to – we had Paul Allan and Rhys Breen on the bench.
“Andrew was excellent in the game, but he’s been excellent for the past four or five months.
“He’s earned that place in the team.”
New player ‘close’
With Matty Todd ruled out for the foreseeable and Michael O’Halloran again missing – though he is in line to return on Tuesday night versus Albion Rovers.
McPake said they are working hard on bringing in new signings and they are “close with one”.
“We’re always working,” he added. “It might not be the answer people want to hear, but we’re not going to sign people for the sake of singing them.
“We’re not bringing in numbers so we can fill a bench. It’s not what we want to do.
“We need to sign quality that can come in and play in the starting XI and help this team going into a tough Championship.
“There is plenty of time but we do need to make new signings.”
‘Not much between the teams’
Kilmarnock boss Derek McInnes was happy to give some players minutes and still be strong enough to win the game – though conceded that there wasn’t a whole lot between his charges and Dunfermline.
“We didn’t get it all our own way. But we got the second goal and I thought we ended the game well after that,” he said.
“There wasn’t a lot between the teams.”
