Jim Weir has challenged Forfar to go and win the remaining four games after seeing his side slip up at relegation-threatened Stranraer.
The Station Park side could have gone up to second and strengthened their grip on a play-off spot with victory. Instead, it was Stevie Farrell’s men who were toasting three vital points with goals from Joao Victoria and Connor McManus.
Weir said: “We’ve got to improve defensively, we made mistakes today, and certainly we have got to improve in front of goal with the chances we created. We are not taking anything for granted, we’ve got ourselves in a good position.
“I don’t want to criticise the players too much but I think we need to try to win every game between now and the end of the season and see where that takes us.”
Stranraer got off to an ideal start when Innes Cameron teed up Victoria to score after just 31 seconds.
Forfar responded quickly though and only the post denied Brad Spencer an immediate equaliser.
The leveller came midway through the first half, with Gary Irvine playing a clever one-two with Dale Hilson before firing home.
Lewis Moore would come close to putting his side in front but McManus smashed home the winning goal after Forfar failed to clear their lines.
The visitors almost secured a point though in injury time but Max Currie saved from Murray MacKintosh before Michael Travis blazed the rebound high and wide.
Weir said: “We had a number of chances and I think the game was so open that it could have been 3-3 or 4-4 at half-time.
“I thought in the second half, again, we probably had the best chances.
“I can count five clear-cut chances – Lewis Moore, Dale Hilson, John Baird and even Michael Travis at the end.
“We should never have lost the game today.”