Scott Martin admits Hamilton Accies need to look over their shoulder at the relegation places, but have it in them to climb the Championship.
But he says every single player needs to look in the mirror after being routed 5-1 at Partick Thistle on Saturday.
Kevin O’Hara pulled a goal back on the stroke of half-time after Scott Robinson had put Thistle 2-0 ahead inside 19 minutes at Firhill.
But any thoughts of a fight-back were dispelled four minutes into the second half as Thistle resumed scoring, with Brian Graham notching a double either side of a strike by Logan Chalmers.
That left Accies seventh in the table, just three points ahead of second-bottom Dunfermline, as they host a Raith Rovers on Saturday that is level with them on 15 points.
Captain Martin, whose partner delivered a baby daughter on Friday morning, said: “We need to look at ourselves, because there is a bit of inconsistency there, not just us players.
“It’s going to be hard, but we’re professional players, and we need to find that within us.
“I think if we can get a good week of training and re-evaluate that standard, we can definitely do something in this league.
“It’s now about getting as many points as we can. I’ve said in the past that we’re looking up the way, but maybe that’s naive of me, so I think we realise the position we’re in.
“We have a good squad, a great group of boys and staff behind us and it’s a really good club to be at.
“But I think individually and collectively, we need to do better.”
Martin added: “It was a bitterly disappointing afternoon. We’re absolutely gutted in the changing room.
“It seems that one week, or two weeks, we’re up there and then down like a yo-yo, but the games come thick and fast and we need to put it to bed.
“We were in the changing room at half-time, we were positive, we felt as if we had dug ourselves back into the game – but the start of the second half kills us again.
“We can’t give teams like Partick Thistle, with the players they’ve got, a two-goal head-start, in my opinion.
“We need to look at ourselves in the mirror and rectify it. It’s good that we’ve got another chance next week, and we can hopefully show the fans that we’re up to it.”
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