Captain Jason Holt provided an honest assessment as the Saints went down 3-1 against Arbroath on Saturday afternoon.
We had taken the lead through Josh McPake but the hosts netted three goals early in the second half to turn the game on its head.
It was our first defeat of the William Hill Championship season and the skipper said: “First and foremost, we are really disappointed with the outcome. The performance, for most of the game, was not at the level we have set.
“We did okay in the first half, managed to get in the lead, but didn’t build on it. Fair play to Arbroath because they made it difficult for us.
“I thought, when they got the goals in the second half, our reaction was poor. We never quite managed to reset and go again. All over the pitch we got a bit slack and, ultimately, we got what we deserved.”
He added: “We knew it was going to be difficult because they have been in good form and have done exceptionally well in the league so far.
“As with every game, we were confident and wanted to get back to winning ways. That is two points from nine now and, if we want to be successful this year, that won’t be enough.
“We’re back in on Sunday to analyse the game. Losing is obviously a sore one but we need to reset and it’s important we get back to doing the basics well.”
Holt made sure to thank the travelling support for their backing at Gayfield.
He said: “The fans have been different class following us home and away. You saw the numbers that came out for us on Saturday.
“Unfortunately, we couldn’t send them home with the result we wanted. It’s on us to give them something to clap and shout about. Once next week comes around, we’ll be ready to go again.”
