Steven Whittaker was left bemoaning his Stirling side’s lack of a ruthless instinct as Montrose edged a tight Premier Sports Cup encounter on Saturday.
There was little between Albion and their League One opposition throughout a tight 90 minutes, but a flurry of two goals within three minutes from Ewan Loudon - via the penalty spot - and Blair Lyons in the middle of the first half gave the Gable Endies an advantage they never looked too likely to relinquish.
The result means Albion’s chances of progression are unlikely heading into their final match in Group B on Saturday against Championship cracks Arbroath.
Whittaker reflects on defeat
For Whittaker, the defeat came with frustration over the concession of the two goals, allied with a confidence that his squad are going in the right direction ahead of the League Two opener at home to Dumbarton in a week-and-a-half.
Whittaker said: “We knew they were a physical and even up front, they have that height and physicality about them, so it was about defending the box well.
“We’ve been done by a shirt pull which looks like the guy isn’t going to be near the ball which is disappointing, but there’s no excuse for the second - we get blocked, lose a man around the back and then we’re up against it.
“We regrouped and a lot of the performance through the game, we felt like we were more than a match for them and limited them to not many chances and created some good ones of our own in open play.
“But we didn’t have the killer instinct in front of goal today, the players are there that will help us with that through the season.”
Positive signs despite narrow defeats
The early performances under the new man have been greeted positively by the Binos fans, despite narrow defeats on Saturday and to Dundee United on the opening weekend.
Whittaker’s mood was upbeat as well as he praised the commitment of his players, with debuts on Saturday for a pair of loanees from Dunfermline in Zeke Cameron and Lucas Fyfe, alongside defender Kevin Waugh.
The Stirling boss added: “The hard work and willingness to fight for each other has been there in every game so far and that’s something we will need through the year.
“I’ve said that to the players, regardless of the situation we must look to stick it out together.
“We can get better on some decision-making, where the ball is going and why is what we can improve on and that’s what we will work on heading into the season.
“We’re being realistic about the level of opposition we’ve faced and the amount of the ball we’ve had.
“But the out-of-possession stuff has been good and the attitude of the players to work has been great.”
