Elgin City plunge to lowest point of League Two season with Dumbarton home defeat and manager Gavin Price wants a positive response at Annan Athletic
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Saturday's shocking 4-0 home defeat to Dumbarton must trigger a quick response, says manager Gavin Price.
Price reflected on his team's lowest point of the campaign, a toothless showing against the league leaders who were good value for their easy victory.
The City boss says he will analyse his team's performance and look to put things right when the Black and Whites make the long journey to Annan Athletic on Saturday.
"Without a doubt this is our lowest point of the season," he said after the defeat.
"How we respond to this is what it is all about. We’ve got to take it on the chin."
After twice being denied by former Elgin keeper Brett Long early on, the home side conceded a sloppy 25th minute opener, scored by Ross MacLean.
Dumbarton then completely snuffed out every City raid and used the counter-attack to devastating effect, running in three second half goals through Gregg Wylde, Aron Lynas and Ryan Wallace.
"Dumbarton deserved their win," said Price. "We had a fantastic opportunity at the start of the game but the manner with how we lost the first goal was really disappointing.
"Losing the first goal against Dumbarton, we just fell further into the trap.
"We huffed and puffed in the first half and almost certainly should have had another penalty, the linesman gave it but the referee didn’t.
"But I'm not making excuses, I’m taking this on the chin and we were well below par and we have to be better.
"The way the game panned out in the final 25 minutes was not good enough. We need to take a look at ourselves in the mirror over why this has happened and make sure that type of performance is over, for the rest of the season.
"They are a good bunch, I know the characters in there and they will be hurting. The most important thing in football is when you do that, to roll the sleeves up and make sure you make up for it in the next game.
"We have massively competed in every game this season, we did that in the first half (against Dumbarton) and I am expecting us to be on the front foot in games at home, regardless of the opposition.
"But it was a flat, uncharacteristic performance in the second half and the energy levels were not what they should have been."
City keeper Daniel Hoban missed Saturday's game due to illness and is set to be sidelined for the Annan trip.
Centre back Jake Dolzanski has crossed the disciplinary points threshold and will serve a one-game ban, but Lewis Nicolson returns from a two-match suspension.
Captain Matthew Cooper will also return to training this month after learning his knee injury does not require surgery.
