Kearney pleased to secure all three points

ORAN Kearney shares his thoughts after the Bannsiders secured a 2-0 success away to Ballinamallard United…

Goals from Ian Parkhill and Brad Lyons earned the victory in County Fermanagh, but boss Kearney would have preferred the second strike to have arrived a little bit earlier.

“The manner of the game and the way it panned out it was one of those days you always wanted the second goal,” Kearney said.

“We had a very good performance in the first half in particular.

“The only thing we could have complained about was perhaps our recklessness in front of goal.

“We had a lot of the play, we had a lot of chances, but we failed to convert them.

“Every team will have their moment in a game, and to be fair to Ballinamallard I thought they started the first 15 minutes of the second half particularly well.

“They came out and made a real game of it.

“But we looked solid. We have had quite a few clean sheets this year, Chris Johns has been solid, so have the back four and the rest of the team.

“We are built and prepared to take the 1-0.

“But in the same stretch with the quality we have and the way we play, we always wanted the second goal, and we got it with a very composed finish from Brad.”

With Linfield and Glenavon dropping points at the weekend, Kearney insists his side are solely focused on their own performance and collecting three points.

“We keep saying to the boys every week all we can control is what we do every week,” Kearney added.

“The big emphasis today was to pick up the three points and whatever happened anywhere else is out of our control.

“We know that if we keep winning games we will stay where we are at.”

Kearney revealed he always ‘aspired’ to have Coleraine top of the league during his spell in charge, but is now turning his attention to Friday night’s clash against Warrenpoint Town.

“I have managed Coleraine for seven years and I have always aspired to be in this position,” Kearney continued.

“I’ve never played a game of football or managed a game of football, or led a team into a season hoping to be mid table or down at the bottom.

“Every year until it mathematically impossible you want to try and be at the top of the league and this year’s no different.

“We’ve built well over the last couple of years and the fruits are starting to show from it.

“But we’re long enough in the game to know it’s just another three points and we have another tough game coming up on Friday night at Warrenpoint.”