Defender Jamie Stevenson has warned his East Kilbride teammates that they need to pick themselves up from Saturday's cup defeat, and quickly, because they're playing for their futures.
Kilby are currently second in the Lowland League as they enter the final straight of the current campaign, with a visit by Berwick Rangers on Tuesday, followed by a trip to Bo'ness United on Saturday.
But they do so having been sent crashing out of the South Challenge Cup quarter-final as East of Scotland side Sauchie Juniors ran out 2-0 winners at K-Park in new boss Kevin Rutkiewicz's first game in charge on Saturday.
Former Alloa, Morton and Airdrie United defender Stevenson, 37, says a reaction is needed as they bid to hold onto the runner-up spot.
He said: "It was a cup game, a chance to impress the new manager, in a home game, but we never really turned up.
"The better team won, I think 2-0 was probably a fair reflection on the game. They had a few chances, a few half-chances, and we never turned up.
"When you looked at the draw I think we fancied our chances against anybody, but we got out-fought.
"I wouldn't say they wanted it more than us, but they were certainly physical, direct, and some of the boys just couldn't compete with them.
"At points in the game it did look like men against boys and the boys have been told, and we're now looking for a reaction.
"There are only a few games left in the season and it's a new manager, so boys are playing for contracts next year and we need a reaction.
"Hopefully we can kick on and that's just a wee speed bump we've hit. We have four games to go, and we'll see where we end up."
Stevenson was naturally disappointed with the defeat at K-Park on Saturday but says he has no complaints about the outcome.
"Their keeper had a couple of good saves, we had a couple of chances with Cammy Elliott, the header from Steven Old, and a wee flash-point in the first half, but other than that we didn't really create any clear-cut opportunities," he said.
"On the balance of play they probably had the better of the chances, but with the strikers in the form they've been in, we would expect them to find the back of the net - but it wasn't to be.
"We conceded two really sloppy goals, which are preventable from our point of view, while they'd probably say they were two well-taken goals.
"It was a fair reflection. They probably just edged it, but it was disappointing from us, because we had been playing really well.
"With a new manager you expect a wee bounce, but it just wasn't there."
East Kilbride last week axed boss Chris Aitken, who had taken over from his brother Stevie after he stepped down in August, but Stevenson says in football you just have to move on.
He said: "Once Steve Aitken left the goal with Chris was to finish second in the league, and that's still the objective.
"The boys need to pick themselves up, and quickly, and we're looking for a reaction for the manager.
"The new manager's in, the old manager's gone, that's football, and the boys need to get out of that honeymoon period and get back to what they were good at."
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