That was the view of stand-off Richard Mill after his club - who have won the Premiership three times in the last four years - lost away to Hawick last weekend.

It was their third defeat this season and one of their worst starts to a campaign in recent times having only lost three league games all last season.

On Saturday, Melrose welcome high-flying Heriot’s to the Greenyards. The visitors - who sit second in the table, equal on points with top of the table Gala and third placed Ayr - have already beaten the champions this season - in the inaugural BT Charity Shield match in August.

And that game will be closely followed by a local derby with the Maroons, who are still smarting from when they lost the title to Melrose on the final day of last season.

Mill said: “We just have to get better.

“It (the defeat to Hawick) came from a lot of our errors, simple dropped balls when we were under no pressure. I think there must have been at least 20 individual errors throughout the whole game and that’s just not acceptable at this club.

“We have to get back to training and correct it for next week, we have to get it right. It was very scrappy but Hawick, fair play to them, they made their chances count.” Looking ahead, he added: “We’ve got Heriot’s and Gala at home in the next two weeks, we have to up our game and connect the backs and forwards a lot better as well.” Former Gala player Bruce Aitchison, now coach at Boroughmuir, will be keen for his side to recapture the form which saw them record victories over Melrose and Edinburgh Accies earlier this season when he returns to Netherdale this weekend. It follows recent losses to Ayr, Heriot’s and Currie.

But Gala will have other ideas, as Chris Weir explained: “We’ve still got last year on our mind when we lost at the last hurdle so we’re not taking anything for granted.

“We’ve got a good team spirit here and that’s what is carrying us through. In years gone by we maybe got beat in the last five minutes but now we’re actually winning in the last five minutes.” But he added: “It’s close at the top and we’re taking every game as it comes. Hopefully at the end of the season we’ll be in that top four.

Most Borders teams are at home this weekend. While Gala welcome Boroughmuir to Netherdale, and Melrose tackle Heriot’s at the Greenyards, Hawick face Stirling County at Mansfield Park - all kick-offs 3pm.

In BT National League 1, second placed Selkirk will aim to recapture top spot when they welcome Aberdeen to Philiphaugh, Kelso and Jed-Forest are also at home to Stewart’s Melville and GHA, respectively, while Peebles face Marr away.