Clyde boss Jim Duffy admits losing a second goal and midfielder Kurtis Roberts to a red card within 20 minutes of the second half knocked the stuffing out of his side at FC Edinburgh.
The Bully Wee fell to a 3-0 defeat at Meadowbank that leaves them just two points above basement side Peterhead, and without Roberts for two games. They're also 18 points behind third-bottom Queen of the South.
Duffy says his side needs to compete for 90 minutes, after dominating the first period but they fell apart after the interval.
Lee Hamilton had put the hosts ahead just before half-time, on-loan Killie winger Steven Warnock doubled that in 51 minutes, and Roberts was shown a straight red card for a crude challenge on Callum Crane 15 minutes later.
John Robertson polished off the win with a third in 70 minutes.
Duffy told the club’s website: “I thought in the first half actually we played pretty well, up until the final third, where our final decision, our final ball, wasn’t good enough.
“I thought we controlled most of the game, and then a lapse of concentration just before half-time cost us the goal.
“These are pivotal moments in football, because you have to be switched on, particularly as half-time approaches.
“The second half we didn’t start the game at all, made a basic error for the second goal, and obviously the red card as well, so we made too many basic errors.
“The stuffing got knocked out of us, we allowed Edinburgh to take control of the game, then.”
Duffy felt goalkeeper Neil Parry was their top player on the day and added: “They had too much time and space, the heads went down too easily, so we have to show a better reaction to adversity.
“We were well beaten in the second half. In the first half we competed well, but the game lasts for 90 minutes, not 45.
“We can’t pick and choose when we compete, we have to compete from the first second to the last.”
Roberts will miss the trip to Montrose this weekend and Duffy says they have issues elsewhere.
“Kurtis has been a top player for us and somebody I always felt was really important for us," he said.
“But he made a rash decision and the referee had no option but to give him a red card, so we have to see who is available for next week.
“We have an awful lot of injuries; Jon Craig, Barry Cuddihy, Paul Kennedy, in amongst the ones that had been long-term injuries.
“We are stretched, the red card doesn’t help that, but we just have to regroup, clear our heads.
“It’s going to be another tough match up at Montrose, but we have to compete better for the 90 minutes – that’s the key for us.”
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