Gavin Price blamed “stupidity” in Elgin City’s mistake-strewn 5-2 home defeat to Albion Rovers.
The Borough Briggs boss was withering in his assessment after another costly afternoon made it three defeats in a row.
Manager Price said: “I don’t like saying this about players, but I can’t dress it up. The first half goes down to stupidity and the mistakes we make.
“Looking at the second half, is it a game too many for some of them? Can we use that as an excuse? I don’t think so. It’s the same for every team.
“I think most of the squad in there will be embarrassed by today. They will be desperate to put it right and they’ve got to, it’s as simple as that.”
Elgin travel to play runaway leaders Queen’s Park on Tuesday night in the final game before the split. The Spiders need just a point to clinch the title.
Josh Peters blew an early chance for Elgin in a positive start. However, they fell behind after 10 minutes when Rory MacEwan’s pass-back took a bobble, Tom McHale took a fresh air swipe and Matty Aitken – a past Elgin loanee – was left with the easiest goal of his life into an empty net.
Kane Hester missed a chance soon after, racing clean through and rounding keeper Harry Stone, only to take a heavy touch and allow Aron Lynas to get back and clear.
Hester made no mistake, though, after 15 minutes, this time planting the ball wide of Stone into the corner of the net to make it 1-1.
City’s calamitous streak resumed after 29 minutes. MacEwan was caught in possession by Aitken who fed veteran ex-Hearts man Ryan Stevenson, whose low shot hit the post then bounced back off McHale and into the net for an own goal.
Josh Peters and Hester both missed chances at the start of the second half as Elgin chased an equaliser
Albion sub Finn Ecrepont was denied by an incredible reflex save by McHale. From the corner, Lewis Wilson’s free header at the back post seemed to cross the line before Elgin cleared. The assistant did not signal for a goal and Aitken made sure with a volley into the net to make it 3-1.
Kyle Doherty had been on the park for only a couple of minutes when he met an Ecrepont cross with a tidy head-flick over McHale, scoring with his first touch.
With 16 minutes left, a disastrous day only worsened when Doherty robbed Stephen Bronsky then slipped a low shot past McHale for No 5.
City’s dismal showing was sugar-coated a little late on when substitute Conor O’Keefe’s shot squeezed over the line to make it 5-2.
