Montrose boss Stuart Garden admitted that his players will be playing for pride, new contracts and an increasingly faint hope of a play-off place in the remaining four games of the season.
A second-half drubbing at the hands of table-toppers Peterhead left the Gable Endies boss shell-shocked.
“I thought in the first half we did reasonably well without getting in too many shots on target.
“The most disappointing thing was the manner we conceded the goals and I said that to the players.The first goal was direct from a cross and we just crumbledafter that. The goals we conceded were terrible.”
The visitors started encouragingly and took the game to their hosts. Graham Webster had the first well-struck shot, which dipped in front of keeper Graeme Smith forcing him to block.
Five minutes later David Gray indulged in keepy-uppy near the penalty area before volleying a shot into the arms of Smith. As half-time drew close, Bryan Deasley shot wide, summing up a poor half.
The Blue Toon started the second half in a more positive fashion and Rory McAllister, who had struck the post with a shot in the first period, went close with a free-kick.
The flood gates opened short of the hour when a low cross from Ryan Strachan on the right wing evaded everyone and snuck in at the back post.
Four minutes later McAllister latched on to a long-ball forward and showed his class to round Stuart McKenzie and score into the empty net.
With hardly an attack of note, Montrose fell further behind in the 77th minute when Ricky McIntosh turned a Steve Noble cut into his own net and a late McAllister header was the final nail in the coffin.
Garden said: “We still have to aim for a place in the play-offs and there is pride and contracts to be played for and the players need to show me that in the remaining games.”