Montrose boss Paul Hegarty is hoping his side can find a level of consistency over the next four games and eliminate the sort of “Jekyll and Hyde” performances that are costing them dear.
Barring a mathematical miracle, the Gable Endies will finish the regular season bottom of League Two and will then face a pyramid play-off against either Brora Rangers or Edinburgh City next month.
Montrose secured a creditable 2-2 draw against second-top Queen’s Park last weekend and Hegarty is looking to build on that at East Stirling this afternoon ahead of the two-leg tie that will determine their SPFL future.
He said: “We could take a lot of positives out of the first half from last week.
“We played some lovely football and should have scored more.
“I told the boys at half-time that their manager would not have been happy but we let them back into it.
“The pleasing thing was that the players didn’t let their heads go down when they made it 2-1.
“We equalised with a good goal but overall it was a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde performance.
“In normal circumstances getting a draw against the second top side in the league would be a good one.
“However, the most important thing in the next four games is building up confidence for the play-offs.
“The lads have shown in the win over Arbroath and last week’s game with Queen’s Park that they are capable of producing the right results, they just don’t do it often enough.
“So we will be working on concentration and discipline and hopefully we will have found some consistency by the time we approach the play-off to stay in the SPFL.
“We go to East Stirlingshire this weekend and once again we will be without Bryan Deasley and Leighton McIntosh with Alan Campbell also set to miss out.
“Ross McCord has returned to training but it may be too soon for him.
“Marvin Andrews took a sore one on his ankle after just five minutes of the Queen’s Park game.
“He didn’t train on Tuesday and instead stayed in Edinburgh receiving treatment so we will have to see how he is.”