Peterhead goalkeeper Greg Fleming was disappointed the Blue Toon couldn’t push on after hauling themselves back to level terms against Forfar Athletic at Station Park.
Instead, the Blue Toon conceded a quick goal to gift Forfar the lead again and blow the chance to open up a substantial gap over the Loons at the foot of League One.
Fleming said: “I don’t know if we deserved to win.
“It was close. We got the goal to get back in the game but obviously didn’t see it out. If we had kept it tight for a wee bit longer, who knows what might have happened, we might have put a bit more pressure on.
“For as well as we played last week (against Raith Rovers) we were nowhere near where we were then.
“They always say you are most vulnerable when you score a goal but we should have kept it tighter longer and we didn’t do that.
“We had chances.
“Their keeper made saves and tipped one over the bar but I don’t know if we worked them enough really.
“We’ve played well for the last number of games but unfortunately today we’ve not and we have been punished for it.”
It was Forfar’s first win since September as new boss Stuart Malcolm took all three points on his home debut.
The first chance fell to Peterhead’s Ryan Conroy when he picked up on the edge of the box but his shot was straight at Marc McCallum.
Aidan Smith also had a chance for the visitors but he blasted wide of the target.
Instead it was Forfar who took the lead in the 20th minute. Dale Hilson was brought down on the edge of the Peterhead area and Ross Forbes lashed the ball into the top corner past the despairing dive of Fleming.
Forfar should have gone two ahead after Forbes forced Fleming into a point-blank parry but somehow Hilson managed to screw his header from the rebound wide with the goal gaping.
Only a fingertip save from McCallum kept Forfar ahead after the interval, the keeper just tipping a deflected Gary Fraser shot over the bar.
Peterhead were thrown a lifeline in the 67th minute when Mark Docherty carelessly brought down Rory McAllister as the forward nipped in from behind him.
McAllister made no mistake from the spot.
But Forfar were back in front two minutes later when Murray Mackintosh stole in to stab home a low centre from close range.
Smith hit the post in the 80th minute as Peterhead pushed for a second equaliser but Forfar held on for the win.
Peterhead boss Jim McInally said: “I thought the better team won. By our standards, the first half cost us.
“I don’t think we played the conditions well enough. I said to the players at half time: ‘If you are going to lose, at least lose having a go, but don’t lose to a team showing more enthusiasm’.
“I felt in the first half when we did have a really good 10 or 15 minutes, they stopped us and we didn’t have an answer to it.
“We were always chasing after their goal.
“But when we did get the goal, it was criminal to concede so quickly.
“So there are no excuses. We have had a lot of plaudits for the last few weeks for playing well but sometimes you have to look at yourself.”
