Tommy Wright admits Kilmarnock have had to take their 3-0 forfeit against East Kilbride on the chin.
The Ayrshire side saw their 2-0 Premier Sports Cup win overturned by a disciplinary panel after fielding Daniel Armstrong who was carrying a suspension from last season.
The Rugby Park boss says they have to move on and win all three remaining group matches to give themselves a chance of qualifying – starting away to League One Clyde today.
He said: "We take it on the chin as a club. We take it as a group, full responsibility, no individual.
"There are various ways it should have been flagged up and we move on. It’s happened.
"It’s disappointing because we got off to a good start based on what we’d done pre-season too.
"But it’s still a winning start for me on the pitch and we go into the Clyde game after a good result determined to win the three games we have to give us a chance of qualifying.
"The result has been taken off us through something that didn’t happen on the pitch. It’s our fault.
"I was pleased with how we played and how we’ve trained. If you look at the bench, we’ve had some injuries and niggles.
"Everyone is starting to get back again so the squad will be stronger for the next three games and there’s nothing to say we can’t win those three games."
Wright added: "Things happen. It’s one of those it happened in a competition last year. It’s not defending what the oversight was.
"But from a player’s point of view the majority wouldn’t have known they’d had two bookings in the group stages and they go onto the next season.
"Nothing had to be said to Dan. It’s not his fault. The fact he’s moved clubs obviously then the transition has probably affected how things went."
Armstrong will serve his suspension against Clyde while captain Chris Stokes is in contention to start after getting back to full training.
Liam Polworth and new signing Dylan McGowan could make the bench but Scott Robinson will miss out again due to injury.
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