Kearney: ‘We started a half too late’

COLERAINE manager Oran Kearney rues his side’s first-half performance as they fell to their first defeat in the Danske Bank Premiership…

After trailing to first-half goals from Andy Waterworth (pen) and Mark Stafford, the Stripes put in a spirited second-half performance but couldn’t force a share of the spoils despite chances for McGonigle, O’Donnell and Traynor.

“In the end, I think we were a little unlucky to not have got something from the game,” Kearney said.

“I said to the players after the game, that there are very little places in this league where you can only turn up for a half.

“Today, for whatever reason, that’s what our performance dictated.

“In the first-half, we made very sloppy passes early on and there was a layer of edginess about us.

“It then spread throughout the team were we didn’t want to put our foot on the ball, or we didn’t want to have a go which was everything we spoke about during the week.

“We started the second-half on the front foot and gave them a scare, but it was ultimately a half too late.

“That’s the most disappointing aspect of today.”

Kearney admits the players removed ‘the shackles’ at half-time and began to have a go at Linfield, but the damage was ultimately done in the opening 45 minutes.

“We got the shackles off at half-time which shouldn’t have been there in the first place and went and had a go,” Kearney added.

“We got the ball down and started running at them.

“To be fair, we got a goal back, Jamie probably gets too much purchase on a header and there are a few more half chances.

“The big chance was on 89 minutes when Stephen O’Donnell has a header which possibly hits Carroll, rather than him saving it.

“On another day we could have got something from the game.

“However, on the same stretch, when you put in an opening 45 like that in the first-half it makes it very difficult for yourself.”

The defeat at Windsor Park means the Bannsiders’ 14 match unbeaten run has come to an end, but Kearney insists winning points was the sole focus on the players’ minds.

“From the inside looking out, we have never spoken about can we go from five games unbeaten to six, or make it seven games without losing?

“At half-time, we never said about protecting our run and it’s never been like that.

“If Jamie takes his chance before half-time, or if O’Donnell’s late header goes in, we could have possibly got a draw out of the game.

“I don’t remember Chris having an awful lot to do in the second-half.

“From that point of view, it’s a point or two points dropped and that’s all it is.

“The same three points will be available on Tuesday night against Ards.”

Due to international call-ups for Ciaron Harkin and Jamie McGonigle, Coleraine were out of action for two weeks, but Kearney stressed his squad needed a rest.

“We needed the break and it would be easy to sit here and say that the two weeks made us lose our match sharpness,” Kearney added.

“There were a few guys who had five or six days off and then we trained hard last Thursday night, on Tuesday past and then freshened up on Thursday.

“We had two weeks off before we beat Linfield in September and it worked perfectly.

“We were lethargic in the first-half and I think it was more mental than physical.

“There were a few misled passes and sliced clearances and it seeped throughout the team.”