Sligo Rovers boss Gerard Lyttle described his side's FAI Cup loss to Longford Town as "upsetting, embarrassing and hurtful" as he vowed to repay the fans with a big performance.
Sligo host Bray Wanderers on Tuesday night in the SSE Airtricity Premier Division in desperate need of three points.
They're second bottom, three points off ninth-placed Finn Harps having played a game more, and the 4-2 extra-time defeat to First Division Longford was another big blow to morale.
Lyttle admitted the performance was way off what's expected, but is confident his team will respond.
"It was disappointing, upsetting, embarrassing, hurtful," he said.
"We weren’t good enough and everybody knows what. We spoke for an hour in the dressing-room after the game and the players were more vocal then they’ve been before.
"I believe in our players. We are sticking together and as a club we need to stick together. It’s a big job ahead and there’s no shying away from that.
"The players played with fear last Saturday and I don’t want my team to play like that. I’ve told them to go out and express themselves, believe more in themselves, to focus and show they are better that what we saw."
Sligo are without Jamie McDonagh due to suspension but otherwise have a clean bill of health.
Lyttle is now hoping a big effort at the Showgrounds can get the fans back on side and earn a crucial victory.
"The supporters were unhappy last Saturday and rightfully so," he added. "I know what they are feeling. They are right to voice it.
"On Tuesday night we play this game against a difficult opponent but we have to keep positive. It’s what we’ve tried to do for our players and when the game starts on Tuesday I want our supporters to do what they’ve done all season and get behind us once more.
"It’s going to take a huge effort but this club is capable of it. We’ve done well at home, it’s a hard place for teams to come and we can make it even harder by uniting behind the cause and do all we can to get three points."
