Aberdeen manager Stephen Glass maintained his side will finally click soon despite suffering an eighth game without a win.
A 3-2 loss at St Mirren on Sunday lunchtime leaves the Pittodrie club languishing in the lower half of the table while the likes of Hearts, Hibs and Motherwell accelerate away in the European spots.
Connor Ronan's opener had the Dons up against it but it looked like they had turned the tide when Scott Brown levelled through a fortunate deflection before Christian Ramirez's excellent diving header.
But Ronan added a second for Saints and then Marcus Fraser hit the winner just past the hour mark – after Teddy Jenks was shown his second yellow card and dismissed.
Glass refused to blame Willie Collum's decision for the loss and insisted his side was undone by costly errors.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Glass said: "I think Teddy overruns it, he doesn't mean to hurt the other player but the referee is right, it's a second yellow card.
"It definitely changes the game, everybody watching can see that. We still gave away disappointing goals which is a bigger issue than the referee.
"It's individual mistakes that's cost us, again. We showed we can stick it in the net at the other end from set-pieces, we were probably in control until the red card.
"But you get nothing for it and it's important that we move on.
Aberdeen now face Celtic next weekend in the Granite City while battles against Hibs, Rangers and Hearts also await Glass in October.
"It's a frustration and a massive disappointment," he added. "You come here and you don't make a decent performance – until the red card – count.
"We walk out of here with no points again. There's a lot of criticism and we deserve it but we've got to get things right, and we will.
"The players have been lifted for the big games coming up, we've got Celtic next Sunday to look forward to.
"It's a tough game but the challenge is there."
Glass insists his charges are fully aware it hasn't been good enough and that they're working hard to correct the course.
He said: "Results wise, it's a distance from where we want to be but we have to make sure we get things right.
"The only way to do it is for individuals defensively and at the top end of the pitch to be better than they have been.
"The players know it, we know it, and we'll get it right."
