Match Reaction

McAree: ‘Players will have to show the right desire’

COLERAINE manager Rodney McAree spoke of his disappointment after the Bannsiders were beaten 1-0 by Newry City on Friday evening…

The Stripes put in a lacklustre performance at The Showgrounds and were punished as Mark McCabe’s first-half effort condemned Coleraine to their second league defeat in a row.

Speaking to colerainefc.com after the game, McAree was critical of his side’s application and fight throughout the 90 minutes.

“I am hugely disappointed with the result,” he said.

“We huffed and puffed for large spells of the game but ultimately we haven’t done enough. We haven’t shown enough determination to get something out of the match.

“The team who showed the greater hunger and fight won the game of football and that’s disappointing.

“As manager I’ll take the responsibility for it and I’m big enough to hold my hands up and say it wasn’t good enough so I think others will have to do the same.

“People will have to go away from it and assess their own game and work out if they want to continue to play for Coleraine for the foreseeable future, or if they don’t want to play here and move elsewhere.”

The Bannsiders have struggled to find the net in recent weeks and McAree hopes to find a solution to the problem.

“We are not doing enough in the final third,” he added.

“Little things maybe aren’t dropping for us such as little blocks and headers in the opposition penalty box but it is frustrating.

“We have what we have to work with at the minute, we have to try and get them to do better and get more out of them.”

The manager has also called on the players to start taking criticism for below-par performances and admits they are playing for their futures.

“I think having done so well last season and being on such a run and not being used to losing games of football, people were used to getting a pat on the back,” he concluded.

“If that same player is happy to get a pat on the back then that same person should be able to take a little bit of criticism from time to time.

“There are more pats on the back than criticism but it’s dealing with the criticism in the right manner and accepting responsibility.

“At this moment of time we need a fresh up in January but there’s a month of football still to be played and players have to show the right desire to stay at this football club.”