Ian Evatt insisted Wanderers’ first defeat since mid-December needed to hurt as they look to bounce back in mid-week.
The Whites saw their four-match winning run in League One come to an end with a 1-0 defeat at in-form Leyton Orient as Wanderers remained fourth in the table.
And Evatt admitted the performance at Brisbane Road hadn’t been good enough as Dan Agyei struck between two big chances for Wanderers’ top scorer Dion Charles to give the O’s a fourth win in five games as they climbed inside the top 10.
“We’ve got a game on Tuesday and we've got a chance to put it right,” said the Wanderers’ boss.
“But we're an honest group and it always starts with the man in the mirror and today all of us have to look in the mirror and admit to ourselves that isn't good enough for the level we've set this season.
“I expect everyone to hurt tonight and then expect us to come with a fresh mind 30 to go on Tuesday.
“We’ve had moments like this where we felt this down this season and the players have somehow always found a way to respond and we have to do the same.
“It is one game, but we don't like losing very much and certainly the manner of the defeat isn't nice. Too many underperformed and I think if I'd had 11 opportunities to changes and make substitutions today, I probably would have done.
“We've just got to focus on being better. All is not lost, we must remember that. This group always finds a way to respond and we have to do the same again.”
Wanderers face Cheltenham Town at the Toughsheet Community Stadium in a game re-arranged from last Saturday’s abandonment.
The Whites still have games in hand on the sides above them in the promotion race but missed the chance to stay closer to the top two with a fourth away defeat of the season.
“It was disappointing,” Evatt added. “I can't make any excuses or sugarcoat that. That was not up to our standards or level. We didn't play the conditions well enough, do the ugly side well enough or the basics well.
“Having said that, we had the two best chances of the game, two chances that really have to be goals, and take those two and we end up winning the game. But for us -and we just focus on ourselves - that wasn't acceptable.
“Very rarely am I this disappointed with that group of players but today is one of those days we let everyone down. We let the travelling fans down, we let ourselves down and we have to be better than that if we want to achieve our ambitions this season.”