Midfielder Scott Brown knows the severity of Peterhead’s situation after they suffered defeat at Bayview.
The Blue Toon were leapfrogged by the Fifers in League 1 after second-half goals from Jason Kerr and Kevin O’Hara ensured the points were kept in the Kingdom.
The result meant Peterhead dropped to eighth and just four points from bottom.
Brown reckons unless performances and results start to turn, the Blue Toon will be in trouble and said: “We can’t deny it – we’re in a relegation struggle right now.
“Our priority has to be to stop ourselves getting relegated and we owe it to the supporters, the board and the manager to start getting results.”
East Fife were worthy winners with their two second-half goals giving them a comfortable cushion.
Once O’Hara netted the second, it allowed the Methil club’s players to sit back and invite McInally’s side on to them.
Brown had a late chance to pull one back for his side but lashed his effort high over the bar.
It was as good a chance as Peterhead created during an afternoon they would rather forget.
Brown added: “We know that was far from good enough. If we have any aspirations to go up we have to be a lot better than we were.
“We’re really disappointed. It was the kind of game where the first goal was probably going to win it. But we just weren’t good enough.
“The quality we have in, this just shouldn’t be happening.We have to keep working hard and try to turn it around.
“We’re better than our league position says, but we need to start coming out and proving that.”
They’ll have the perfect opportunity to show what they truly can do on Boxing Day when bottom club Stenhousemuir visit.