Paul Sheerin admits his side may need to learn how to win ugly if they’re to start picking up League One victories.
The Red Lichties shared the spoils with East Fife at Gayfield, but the Arbroath manager conceded his men hadn’t met the standards expected.
All the goals came in a second half which also saw the Fifers finish with nine men after Scott McBride and Gary Thom saw red.
Goals by Alan Cook and Lee Erwin were matched by a Liam Buchanan brace.
Sheerin, though, knows his side needs to start doing better.
He said: “We’re miles away at the minute, absolutely miles away. And it’s frustrating because they’re a right good group of boys and good football players.
“But maybe that’s the problem to many football players and not enough people who are willing to go and do the dirty side for us, because we’re certainly missing that at the minute.
“I don’t think we were unfortunate. We started the game with a lack of desire and a lack of appetite.”
The play swung from end to end in an entertaining first half when both sides had good chances.
The Fifers had marginally the better of things, and Liam Buchanan twice found himself with a sight of goal.
At the other end a Lee Erwin header was held by Greg Paterson.
The breakthrough came against the run of play when Cook collected a David Banjo pass on the edge of the area and curled a superb strike home. It was cruel on the Fifers, who had absolutely dominated.
However, they were soon level when Buchanan picked up a loose ball inside the box and sent a strike high and past Scott Morrison.
The second wasn’t long in coming again from Buchanan, who headed home at the back post.
You would have put your house on East Fife going on to increase their advantage, but they were sucker punched when Bobby Linn made his way through on goal and was tripped inside the box by McBride.
The Fife man saw red and Erwin made no mistake from the spot.
With a few minutes left, Thom joined his teammate in the changing room early when he was sent off for two bookings.
The hosts tried to grab an unlikely win and would have done so if it hadn’t been for an outstanding triple save in the dying seconds by Paterson.
The Fife goalie said: “It wouldn’t have been nice coming here and leaving with nothing after being beaten 3-2.
“We have experienced players in the team and that helps when you go a goal down. We have that belief that we can come back.”