Aberdeen Grammar must score at least one win from their next two Premiership games, where they will face fellow relegation battlers GHA and Selkirk.
The north-east side went down 38-14 to Currie at Malleny Park on Saturday.
Despite losing their first six games this season – conceding 35 tries in the process – Grammar captain Tom Aplin believes his beleaguered team can bounce back to beat GHA on Saturday, and follow it up with a win in the Borders at Selkirk.
However, Grammar’s two rivals will also view the meetings as a chance to add much-needed victories.
Aplin said: “We need to work on our defence, while our set-pieces are not working, but – with guys coming back from injury – I still believe the spirit is there to enable us to bounce back.
“When we have ball in hand we look good. We scored two good tries against title-chasing Currie, but unfortunately leaked six, something we will be addressing in training next week.”
The Grammar line-out was a shambles, while, once again, ill discipline cost them dearly as Glen Robertson, their busy, hard-tackling flanker fell foul of the referee as early as the 11th minute, resulting in him spending 10 minutes in the sin bin.
Full-back Ross Cameron also had a good game, while stand-off Sam Knudson, with better ball, might have caused Currie more problems.
But overall Grammar were well beaten by half-time, trailing 21-7.
Grammar’s tries came from scrum-half Ali Addy and replacement lock Patrick Mullholland, with both converted by Aplin.
Gordonians thump Whitecraigs in National 2
Across the road at Countesswells, there was better news for Gordonians, who raged back to form with an impressive 51-15 win at the expense of bottom side Whitecraigs to move out of the National League 2 relegation area.
It was a result which delighted their three-try captain Danny Usugo.
“We were firing on all cylinders, right from the start. This young team with an average age of less than 20 are learning with every game,” said Usugo.
Gordonians led 20-10 at the break on the back of four tries, adding a further five – three of which were converted by stand-off Alex Fraser, who missed six kicks at goal, but otherwise led his line with authority.
The other try scorers for the home side were Chris McIroy, Jared White, Callum Stephen (2), Tom Williams and Emmett Strachan.
Gordonians travel to the Borders next, where they will have a much tougher test against Peebles.