Chris Aitken admitted Kilwinning Rangers' seven-goal drubbing at the hands of Clydebank last night was the worst he's endured in 25 years in football.
The Buffs were battered in their own backyard as they slipped closer to a dismal relegation from the West of Scotland League Premier Division.
Classy Clydebank blitzed their hosts with three goals in the first half and another four after the interval – they also struck both the bar and the post and could actually have won by a larger margin.
Connor Higgins scored a hat-trick for Bankies with Alan Kelly bagging a brace. Ciaran Mulcahy and Hamish McKinlay were also on target for the rampant visitors.
Buffs finished the game with 10 men after a crude challenge from frustrated forward Ally McColm on defender Creag Little in the 78th minute.
Ahead of the weekend games, Kilwinning lie second-bottom of the table and remain five points adrift of safety with a tough trip to title-chasing Beith up next.
Dejected boss Aitken told the Irvine Herald: "I've just said in there that I'm lost for words the now to be totally honest. In 25 years of football, that's the worst I've ever felt.
"I'm very raw just now. I've been in football a long time and I'm just looking forward to going to see my wife and kids and being with them to be honest.
"Listen, I'll take all the flak that's going to come my way and rightly so because that is not acceptable for this club.
"I'm gutted for the fans, the chairman, the committee and everybody who rallies round to get this club where it should be but we're a million miles away.
"I always tell the players that the start of the game is absolutely crucial. We were never in it and when you're playing against good teams they punish you.
"They know we're hurting and when we concede a goal we're vulnerable; they saw that and they capitalised on it. But that's no excuse and it's unacceptable."
Bankies took the lead in the 11th minute when Higgins rounded luckless Buffs keeper Ewan Henderson and slotted into an empty net, with the goal hero's lovely piece of skill paving the way for Mulcahy to make it 2-0.
Kelly sprinted clear and converted his side's third in the 39th minute and Kelly added a fourth soon after the restart when his shot squirmed through Henderson with the Buffs defence all at sea.
Moments after hitting the bar with a header, Higgins accepted a Kelly lay-off to rifle No 5 high into the net before completing his treble from the spot when Larry McMahon was pulled back in the box by Jordan Stuart.
McColm then saw red and, two minutes later, Kelly crossed to the back post for McKinlay who guided a header into the far corner of the net to put Bankies in seventh heaven.
Aitken still believes the dreaded drop can be avoided and added: "Going forward, I can guarantee that this will not happen again under Chris Aitken. I won't accept it and I've told them that.
"The reality is we have five cup finals left and the scary thing is we've still got a chance [of staying up]."
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