East Fife 1-2 Queen's Park

East Fife have rightly been lauded in recent weeks for their performances despite not always getting the rewards they deserved.

There's no question the players have been giving absolutely everything, only to either be outdone with the odd bit of bad luck or punished for an error they perhaps would have got away with last season.

Against Queen's at Bayview on Saturday, though, they just really, really came up short.

East Fife started the game ok and if a Kevin Smith effort hadn't been cleared off the line by Sean Burns things may have been different.

But too often this season the side has given away really preventable goals.

It's been frustrating to watch this honest group of players make slip ups which are proving so costly.

But what's even more frustrating is when the same things happen again and again.

Queen's took the lead when Adam Cummins met a Jamie McKernon corner and beat Mark Hurst.

It was a soft goal to lose and one which mirrored Alloa's late equaliser on Tuesday night.

One thing this East Fife side does have is a bit of spirit and desire about it and they got themselves level on the very stroke of half-time when Mark Lamont drilled an effort towards goal which Jamie Insall turned past Willie Muir.

It was a moment in the match which should have turned the tide in East Fife's favour and saw them return for the second 45 with their tails up.

They failed to capitalise on that momentum and lost a soft second goal when Kyle Wilkie tugged on Burns' shirt inside the box.

It was a clear penalty and Ross Millen stepped up to put the visitors ahead again.

Smith had a late chance to level the match from a free-kick but the visiting wall stood up to the task.

Queen's left with the points and a win which pushed East Fife back into second bottom spot.

Boss Gary Naysmith was brutally honest after the match, and pulled no punches about what the future will hold for either his players, or indeed himself, if results don't pick up.

He said: "I've mollycoddled the players a bit and said they've been playing well but somewhere along the line it has to stop.

"And if it doesn't it'll either be other players coming in or me going out the door.

"They need to shape up and they need to start doing better.

"We didn't deserve to lose the game but how many times have I said that now?

"The reason we've lost is because Queen's Park have defended better than us.

"Individuals are not doing their jobs.

"I'm disappointed with the players, it's as short as I've spoken to them after the game.

"They know I'm not happy."