Perhaps a negative reaction from Brechin City was inevitable after their epic and ultimately heart-breaking Scottish Cup replay with Forfar Athletic.
The ease with which the Glebe Park side were brushed aside by Stranraer, however, was still a surprise.
After all, the Blues had also been in midweek action albeit in a winning cause against Clyde and Brechin were desperate for a morale-boosting result to kick-start their season.
Instead they have slumped to second bottom, five points ahead of Airdrie, and a long hard winter beckons.
Coach Darren Taylor assumed media duties for manager Ray McKinnon and was blunt and to the point.
“We have to do a lot better than that,” he said. “Our defending was poor and we never really got into the game which was really disappointing.
“Having said that, Stranraer are a good team and they took full advantage of our mistakes.”
The stark fact remains that Brechin are still looking for their first win away from home and have managed a solitary point on their travels.
This sorry state of affairs did not look like improving from the moment the deadly Jamie Longworth notched a well-taken opener on 27 minutes.
Hopes of a fight-back received a severe jolt early in the second half when Darren Petrie was sent off for scything down Chris Aitken.
The Blues made the extra man count when Martin Grehan doubled their lead with another clinical finish on the hour mark.
And Brechin’s misery was complete when Grant Gallagher embellished Stranraer’s victory in the dying minutes.
If there was gloom in the visiting camp, home boss Stephen Aitken was able to reflect on another good day’s work as his side consolidated third place.
Aitken said: “We are playing with great confidence and creating loads of chances. We are a real threat going forward.”
On this showing, the same could not be said for Brechin.