Like the Dunfermline manager, Chris Hamilton wasn’t in the mood for using any excuses.
The Pars have been up against it in terms of selection, especially in defence. Hamilton himself recently refused surgery to continue playing with a protective mask.
That was added to during Friday night’s 2-1 defeat to Queen’s Park at Hampden when Aaron Comrie was replaced with less than 20 minutes on the clock.
Despite playing with several players out of position in two different shapes either side of half-time, James McPake wasn’t happy with the application of his players.
Hamilton, captaining the side in the absence of Kyle Benedictus, said that “words” were exchanged between the players after the game – their fifth without a win.
But the Dunfermline vice-captain believes there is enough quality in the side to get back to winning ways.
Chris Hamilton: Dunfermline have quality
“We always have belief because we know the quality we’ve got,” said Hamilton.
“We’ll never not believe that we can go into games and win them, but, with that quality, you need to have that wee bit something more – that work rate, that desire.
“We need to make sure every game, every training session, that we’ve got that.”
“Like I say, we’ve got the players on the pitch, and even off the bench tonight, young boys, but still capable of doing well.
“So it’s even more frustrating, but we can’t have spells of 10, 15 minutes at the end of a game when you’re 2-0 down. It needs to be right from the start.
“It wasn’t there. We’ve spoke in there, we’ve had words, and we need to be better than that.
“We know that, we need to get back to work, and make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
Dunfermline now face back-to-back home games after Friday night’s defeat as they bid to get their season back on track.
Last season’s League One foes Airdrie are up next before Queen’s Park make the trip to East End Park.
“We need to get the squad back together and start picking up results and performances again,” said Hamilton.
“Maybe strip it back to basics and get back to working as hard as we can and giving everything. It’s a good place to start.”
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