East Fife boss Gary Naysmith called on the fans to get behind his side and lay off the unnecessary criticism.
The Methil men were left frustrated at the weekend as they were unable to book a place in the third round of the Scottish Cup, being held to a goalless draw by Stirling Albion.
The two will do it all over again a week tomorrow, but Naysmith insists his side’s failure to find a passage through wasn’t for the lack of trying.
He said: “I get frustrated because I heard someone shouting ‘This is worse than last week’.
“And it’s not right what they’re saying it’s wrong. Players can hear it as well and it has a negative impact.
“If they want to shout constructive criticism or the truth then I’m all for that, but that wasn’t right.
“If they’re playing bad, like in the second half last week at Berwick then have a pop but the lads played well against Stirling in difficult conditions.
“We were the better team and had four or five clear-cut chances which, on another day, go in.”
The game paired two League Two sides together in the second round and their league standings were demonstrated in how tight the tie was.
East Fife had by far the better of the chances created with the normally lethal Nathan Austin passing up a couple of decent opportunities.
The striker also found former Dunfermline keeper Chris Smith in good form and he was at his best to get off his line to block an Austin effort within the first few minutes.
With a swirling wind whipping over Bayview, both sides found it difficult to settle.
Austin continued to pose a problem and after bursting past his marker looked to have been scythed down inside the box.
Ref Barry Cook, though, was having none of it, waved away Austin’s protests and booked him for diving.
Stirling did look a threat on the break and Kieran MacDonald’s last-ditch tackle halted Kevin McKinlay’s path.
Austin should have put the tie in East Fife’s hands when he got free on Smith’s goal, only to be denied by the keeper.
The last chance of the match fell to MacDonald but he sliced his strike wide from eight yards.
In the dying moments Albion’s Willie Robertson saw red for stamping on the Fifers’ Declan O’Kane.