Forfar Athletic manager Dick Campbell could not hide his disappointment after his team surrendered top spot in League One with a poor performance at Peterhead.
Jamie Redman’s first-half header ended a five-match winning steak for the Loons, who slipped below Stranraer and Morton in the table with just two games remaining.
Campbell said: “There is no doubt that Peterhead deserved to win the game but I did not see that coming to be honest because we had been on a good run of form.”
“We were slack and never got going at all and it is not like us to concede a goal from a set-piece.
“The situation is we now have two games to go and Stranraer play Morton next week and we have got Dunfermline so we will need to lick our wounds and get on with it but I am absolutely shattered at this result.”
The warning signs were there for Forfar before Redman’s winner Jordon Brown sent a header straight at Rab Douglas early on and the former Aberdeen youngster, who has enjoyed two separate spells on loan at Station Park, should have done better when in on goal in the 34th minute only for Douglas to make an impressive diving save.
The slackness in which the Loons conceded three minutes later came as a surprise. Redman was unmarked as he rose to meet Steven Noble’s corner and he powered a 10-yard header into the net.
Campbell’s men carried more urgency after the break but the chances continued to fall for the hosts and Dean Cowie should have made the points safe in the 77th minute when he sent a close range volley wide from fellow substitute Kevin Dzierzawski’s cross.
The closest Forfar came was from a long range Martyn Fotheringham effort, which needed to be tipped behind by Graeme Smith, but Peterhead saw the match out to climb to sixth place.