Bristol Rovers boss unhappy with defending after FA Cup defeat
The Saints conjured up a three-goal salvo in eight minutes of the second half as David Connolly netted twice and Michail Antonio charged through the home side's defence to add a third.
Though substitute Darryl Duffy pulled one back for the Pirates and Jeff Hughes netted from a stoppage-time penalty, there was no way back for the home side.
It was Rovers' sixth defeat on the trot and Trollope admitted: "We know the run we're on is not acceptable in any shape or form.
"We can look at the reasons behind it but the facts are there and defensively we have not been good enough during that period.
"We need to do a lot of work and get back to basics. As a group we have to have a better desire to defend – we are not seeing the danger when it is there."
Bristol Rovers had created the better openings of the first period, but that changed after the break as the Saints forged into their three-goal lead.
"I felt we were well in the game in the first half," said Trollope.
"We spoke at half time about their counter-attacks but some dubious defending from a free-kick cost us their first goal
"It was taken quickly but we still had time to react and get in good defensive positions, but we didn't do it.
"It may have been a bit harsh to go a goal down, but we then conceded two more in seven or eight minutes
"The game looked to be dead and buried in that spell. It was a spirited fightback from us after that, but we left ourselves with too much to do and the damage had been done.
"We were pushing on in desperation to try and get back into it and although we did force them back, we had a mountain to climb,
"We are in the trenches now, the lads are fighting and we have to get things right before next weekend.
"We are short in a number of areas defensively and we need to address that before next Saturday when we have an important home game against Carlisle."
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