Dylan Levitt has acknowledged Hibernian's lacklustre performance in their Premier Sports Cup clash against Kelty Hearts, which ended with a disappointing 1-0 defeat.
The loss has seen Hibs' chances of qualification slip from their grasp as they struggled to find their rhythm on the pitch.
The only goal of the match came in the 58th minute when former Hearts youth star, Callum Flatman, capitalised on a corner taken by ex-Hibs midfielder, Scott Allan.
Reflecting on the game, Levitt knew they had let the travelling support down and it wasn't a good look to be failing to beat a third tier side.
Speaking to Hibs TV following the full-time whistle, he said: “We didn’t move the ball quick enough, and there were some sloppy mistakes in key areas. We knew that set-pieces would be their only hope of scoring, and we got punished for it.
“Overall, it’s not a good look, especially with new signings coming in. We need to perform much better than that.”
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Despite hitting the post three times in the first half, Hibs failed to convert their chances, leaving Levitt to lament, “If those goals go in, it’s a completely different game. But when you get sucker-punched, you’re always chasing, and they slowed the game down effectively. We found ourselves in good positions but weren’t clinical enough.”
Hibernian manager David Gray made six changes to the lineup for their third match in a week, a decision he felt was necessary despite the shock outcome.
“We’re all in this together,” said Gray. “I’m not blaming anyone individually. Collectively, we weren’t at the level we’ve been for the last two competitive games. Definitely not.
“And that needs to be the challenge, that if we do make changes, the players who come in and the team playing still needs to step up to the level."
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Gray emphasised the need for players stepping in to maintain the team's standard.
He continued: “We dropped a level against Kelty. Whether it was a lack of quality or composure in the final third, we had enough chances to win the game but failed to capitalize. The longer you stay at nil-nil while missing opportunities, the more you invite the opposition to punish you.”
With this latest setback, Hibernian face an uphill battle in their quest for cup progression, needing to regroup and refocus as they move forward in the competition.
Gray’s men still top the group but Kelty sit just two points behind with a game in hand.
Hibs face Watford in a friendly match on Wednesday before their final Group C encounter against Peterhead on Saturday.
