Peterhead manager Jim McInally knows his side is in a scrap for survival after Stenhousemuir turned up the heat on the Blue Toon.
A poor-quality match was decided by a deflected goal in the 10th minute as Stenny moved to within two points of McInally’s men with a couple of games remaining.
McInally said: “It’s a shocking result and it leaves us in trouble.
“To lose a game to a team that really offered nothing is disappointing, although we did not offer much either.
“We started really well and we were nice and bright, but we lost a freakish goal and you could see everybody going into a shell again.
“We were totally devoid of ideas and confidence and that was the way the game played out until Allan Smith came on and he gave us a little spark.
“It was a poor game with few shots, but all the important thing is the result and Stenhousemuir got it so it puts us back in with them again.”
Peterhead’s remaining two fixtures are against the leading two, with a trip to champions Livingston up next before they bring the curtain down on a sorry season at home to Alloa.
A play-off with League 2 clubs remains a growing possibility but the prospect of automatic relegation has increased after their defeat to the Warriors.
McInally added: “We are in trouble and there is no hiding from that.
“The sad thing for me was the players looked as though they were scared here, especially when the goal went in.
“It has been a problem the whole season and our home record is nothing short of disgraceful.
“I cannot come up with the reason for that, but we have two games to save ourselves.
“But we certainly cannot win games without having more shots at goal or more crosses into the box and we have to fix that.
“I saw loads of effort but no quality. That isthe best way I can sum it up.”
