SLOPPY BINOS PAY THE PRICE
Boss bemoans frailty at set-piece after penalty save as unbeaten run ends
although Kurtis Roberts equalised early in the second half, Aidan Sopel grabbed what proved to be the winner just a few minutes later.
Stirling slipped to third in the table ahead of this week’s game away to struggling Albion Rovers and Rutkiewicz admits they didn’t do enough to deserve something from the game.
He said: “It was a very disappointing afternoon, both in terms of the result and the performance. I’m not going to make excuses — we need to learn from it. The boys have been great this season but that’s a reminder of how difficult this league can be if you are just short of where you need to be. Credit to Elgin but we have to bounce back from that and it can’t become a hangover.
“I think the result was the right one on the day and Elgin fully deserved the win but even when you don’t deserve something you have to find a way, and we didn’t do that.
“It wasn’t a terrible performance and we didn’t concede a lot of chances but to lose the first goal from a corner just after your keeper has given you a lifeline by saving a penalty is criminal. We
did the same thing after getting back in the game, maybe somewhat fortuitously with the crossshot from Kurtis Roberts that flies in, then five minutes later concede another sloppy goal.
“That sort of summed up our day and we huffed and puffed after that without creating too much, although Andy Ryan was unlucky when he hit the bar.”
Stirling had several corners but failed to make the most of them against an Elgin side who defended well and are now up to second place in the table.
Rutkiewicz added: “We had so many corners and free-kick situations but we weren’t clinical whereas they probably had one corner in the first half and scored from it.
“The buck stops with me and I’ll look at whether I picked the right team or made the right changes.
“I thought Kurtis Roberts and Cammy Binnie were outstanding but after that it became bitty. We were missing three players due to Covid-19 and were maybe a bit light on the bench but that’s not an excuse because we were able to name the same team that beat Brechin and Annan.
“We have to assume the game against Albion Rovers will be on and prepare on that basis and hopefully we can go there and get back on track.”