Dundee United boss Ray McKinnon will not be dwelling on the weekend defeat as he prepares his team for battle at Championship leaders Hibs on Friday night.
Instead, he will focus on returning to the high standards his players set in the 14-game unbeaten run that preceded a second shock loss in consecutive visits to Dumbarton.
Before that reversal, United had won 11 and drawn the other three of their fixtures in all competitions.
Ray knows a return to that kind of form, hopefully starting at Easter Road, would put his team in a very strong position in the promotion race.
“I was critical of the players after the Dumbarton game because over the 90 minutes we dropped our standards,” he said.
“The conditions were horrific and we were beaten again by a freak goal but I still expected better from them — that’s why I didn’t make any excuses.
“What I will do is take into account what had gone before Saturday.
“The players have done well and got us up the league.
“It shows what they are capable of and, if we can go on another run like the one we had been on before the weekend, then I would be delighted.
“And the great thing for us is the game at Hibs means we have an immediate chance to go above them.”
United are hoping defender Lewis Toshney will be fit for Friday, despite it emerging he has a broken toe.
Toshney suffered the injury in an eventful draw at Raith Rovers last month that also saw him sent off.
At first it appeared the problem was only severe bruising.
Now the swelling has died down a crack to the bone has been found.
“He’s joined Tony Andreu on the doubtful list but hopes are he will be able to feature.
Still sidelined because of a calf muscle tear is Toshney’s fellow right-back Frank van der Struijk.
United face a decision this month on whether or not to cut short attacker Cammy Smith’s loan from Aberdeen.
Smith joined up from the Dons in July and the intention was for him to be at Tannadice for the season.
A lack of game time for the first team, however, could see both parties have a rethink.
The 21-year-old has scored five times in 21 appearances but has not started since the Challenge Cup win at Dunfermline in November.
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