Rennie: When we go a goal down we don't react properly

Robbie Mutch’s poor save allowed Jack Brown to score in the first half, and it floored the Bairns who looked unable to respond.

The loss leaves the Bairns six points behind the promotion play-off spots with five matches left.

He said: “There wasn’t really much in the game, there was a mistake that was a big moment in the game and that first goal obviously made an impact.

“We’ve had an illness throughout the squad and we had missed players throughout the week, but that’s no excuse.

“Every side at this time of year has problems with selection and I still was able to put out a strong starting side.

“When you have a team winning games, everyone is healthy and people can play through things well and no one is injured.

“But when it isn’t going well you just can’t get out of a rut, people seem to pick up small injuries and knocks.”

He added: “There’s this mindset in the team and in the club a little bit that if we score the first goal and it goes a little while, then we do well and go on and get another one or look comfortable at least.

“But if we lose the first goal, it seems to be that it has a big, big impact on confidence and it seems to be that the response isn’t quite what we would look for.

“It’s frustrating and it is so annoying because any time we try and build some momentum like winning two games in a row, we just seem to not be able to do that.

“Last week we came away with a good win but we are shooting ourselves in the foot.”

With Queen’s Park winning, Falkirk have it all to do in the race for a play-off shot, even then the Bairns don’t look capable of winning a play-off tie.

Rennie believes the gap isn’t unassailable, but that the character of his side doesn’t match what is needed to close the difference.

“I think the thing about it is that the gap isn’t insurmountable at all, but that’s if your side is playing well and getting clean sheets and grabbing goals,” he said.

“You can close that gap but the issue is we haven’t done that, we are stop start and lacking confidence.

“I can only focus on my time and since I’ve been here we haven’t went on that run that was needed, so now we’d need to win basically every game left.

“We have two games coming up at home and we have to make a right go off it.”

Jaime Wilson was sent off in the final moments for a high foot, with Falkirk’s attacking options already short with Callumn Morrison and Anton Dowds out.

He said: “When your chasing the games that kills it a little bit.

“In the same situation again I’m sure he would do something different.

”Hopefully next weekend we will have some bodies back.”