Allan Moore says his Arbroath side needs to shrug off the East Fife disappointment to ensure their title charge remains on track.
Moore’s men have made a fine start to the season but dropped their first points of the new campaign to the on-song Fifers.
Moore, though, says the blip must not have a knock- on effect and has urged his side to pick themselves back up.
Second-half goals from Allan Walker and Kevin Smith gave East Fife their second league win on the trot.
Moore said: “I thought the first half was pretty equal but then I was disappointed with the way we reacted to losing the first goal.
“The second goal was really disappointing too because we’d shown the players DVD footage of what Kevin Smith can do on his left foot.
“But I didn’t go mad when I went in and spoke with the players; I just reminded a few of them not to start feeling sorry for themselves because we have made a good start to the season.
“It was just one of those games which ran away from us and we just need to take it on the chin.”
East Fife grabbed the lead early in the second half after a spell of pressure. Nathan Austin’s header came back off the post but Allan Walker was following up and rattled the loose ball home.
The goal put a real spring in East Fife’s step and they soon increased their lead.
Kevin Smith created space for himself on the edge of the Arbroath box and unleashed a vicious strike which David Crawford got his hands to but couldn’t keep out.
Bobby Linn and Dylan Carreiro, making his debut after signing on loan from Dundee, both came close as the Lichties fought back.
Fifers assistant Dougie Anderson said: “That’s a result which has been coming for a while. We said at the start that it would take time and I thought we looked a really good team.”