Striker Connor Shields admitted Motherwell's performance wasn't good enough as they crashed to a 1-0 defeat against Premiership newcomers Dundee at Dens Park, to exit the Premier Sports Cup second round.
Lee Ashcroft's 78th-minute header was the difference between the sides, but Shields passed up a gilt-edged chance to score in 38 minutes when he was sent through on goal, only to strike the crossbar.
The 24-year-old former Sunderland and Queen of the South star insists Motherwell created enough chances to win convincingly and says they must sharpen up in front of goal.
Dark Blues keeper Adam Legzdins pulled off some fine saves to deny Graham Alexander's side, though they were also guilty of some wasteful finishing.
Liam Kelly was also busy at the other end, and probably kept the score-line down on a poor day for the visitors.
Shields, from Coatbridge, said: "I thought I had scored and it's frustrating - I need to be doing better, I need to be scoring that, through one on one. It's disappointing.
"It's a hard one to take.
"We had chances, I had a few myself, and we need to be taking them, to be honest.
"It can't be down to anything else, we've had chances and we need to take them, and if we take them it doesn't come down to the goal we've lost.
"It's disappointing. Today wasn't good enough.
"I thought we had chances to go there and win the game by a couple, but that final pass, or just not being able to put the ball in the back of the net has cost us.
"It's disappointing, to be honest. That cutting edge in the final third we just need to sharpen up on, to be honest."
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