Darren Young reckons a weekend break can give his title contenders more lethal punch.
Binos were on the ropes before crashing to the canvas in a disappointing 3-1 defeat at Stranraer last weekend.
That knock-out blow saw them drop four points off the top in the cinch League Two title hunt.
Now Binos have a weekend off as focus turns to the SPFL Trust Trophy.
Stranraer was the second gruelling journey for the players in as many weeks – following a long trip to Inverness.
But boss Young blamed defeat on individual errors rather than weary legs.
Young said: “It was a pretty mixed performance.
“We started well and scored a good goal and they never really had a shot until they scored.
“We had two or three gilt-edged chances to get the second but never managed it.
“We then lost a poor goal defensively and then conceding another one right on half-time was a bit of a killer.
“We huffed and puffed a wee bit in the second half and the third was another really poor goal to concede, we lost three free headers in a row which is disappointing from our point of view.
“It’s individual errors that are costing us and that’s something we’ve not had for a while. We just have to take it on the chin and accept it.
“We know where we went wrong and we’ll just have to take the positives from the game – we created 13 or 14 chances and we definitely felt like we could’ve kicked on and won after scoring.”
The Binos are next in action against bottom side Forfar Athletic at Forthbank on December 17 – and Young admits the break offers a rare opportunity for the players to enjoy some precious family time.
Stirling have also been hit by injuries and suspensions in recent weeks, with key players such as Robert Thomson, Paul McLean, Jack Leitch and Cammy Clark all missing games for various reasons.
“The break has maybe not come at the worst time because it can allow us to get some niggles cleared and get everyone flying back at it and champing at the bit next week,” Young added.
“The boys get that wee break from the game and it’s been a hard schedule so far so it’s good to have that.
“The guys will also get a chance to have some time with their family and you don’t normally get that at this time of year on a Saturday.
“They’ll still be doing their runs but sometimes just spending that time with family can be just as beneficial.”
