Elgin City manager Gavin Price gave his team a post-match dressing down after their heaviest home defeat of the season to bottom side Cowdenbeath.
The Fifers, who play a relegation play-off in two weeks’ time, punished City weaknesses in the second half with four goals to stun the home support.
“Some harsh words were needed in there,” Price said. “The second half was not acceptable.
“That’s been a mental problem we’ve had when we get a setback in a game which I thought we were in control of in the first half.
“When we make a mistake we don’t respond. We are not strong enough to respond and that has got to be addressed.
“End of season or not end of season, the way we responded was not good enough.
“We can make all the excuses we want about a lack of personnel but there were still players out there who should have given us more in that second half.”
Already missing captain Euan Spark and Darryl McHardy in defence, City lost Aberdeen loan teenager Evan Towler to a knock in training this week.
Stand-in skipper Matthew Cooper, who filled in at left back and scored an own goal for Cowdenbeath’s final counter of the match, admitted his team was well off the pace.
“Everyone in there as a group knows that second half performance was far below what is acceptable,” Cooper said.
“We played well in the first half and could have been a goal or two ahead.
“In the second half we completely let the standards drop, as the manager touched on.
“We need to be stronger. We need to see a reaction in the team and that certainly wasn’t evident.
“We let ourselves down, that is for sure.”
Cowdenbeath started well with Craig Barr’s volley saved early on while Kyle Miller fired a 25 yard free kick over the bar.
Elgin soon settled into their stride and had two chances in quick succession before the 20 minute mark.
Firstly Brian Cameron slotted in Aidan Sopel for an angled shot just wide and moments later Cameron was put clear into the box but Cammy Gill closed him down and saved at his feet.
Home keeper Daniel Hoban nearly gifted Cowdenbeath a goal on 32 minutes when he misjudged a pass back then thumped his attempted clearance off the back of striker Samuel Ompreon and was forced to race across his goalmouth to fingertip the ball to safety.
Sopel missed his third chance of the half, firing high over from close range when a Russell Dingwall cross ran into his path.
Kane Hester twice broke through on goal but got the ball stuck under his feet on the first occasion and was denied by a Gill save the second time.
The bottom side had been up against it but stunned Elgin with a double salvo in the second half.
Here is the team lineup for todays match against @CowdenbeathFC
Come on City! 🖤⚽️ pic.twitter.com/CGz3vZFf8W
— Elgin City F.C. (@ElginCityFC) April 23, 2022
Firstly on 55 minutes home defender Angus Mailer’s loose pass was picked up by Cowden striker Samuel Ompreon and he advanced inside the box before lashing a drive high into the net.
Nine minutes later it was 2-0 when Scott Dunn was given ample space to nod home sub Liam Buchanan’s cross from the left.
Elgin got one back with 15 minutes left, sub Josh Peters setting up Kane Hester to lash home from ten yards.
But five minutes later a stunning 30 yarder by Andrew Barrowman found the top corner to restore the two-goal cushion for the visitors.
City’s bad day was summed up by Cowdenbeath’s fourth goal as sub Bobby Barr’s cross from the left was headed into his own net by Cooper at the far post with five minutes left.
