Match Reaction

McAree: ‘We were beaten by the better side’

COLERAINE manager Rodney McAree was left with no complaints after his side were beaten 2-1 by Dungannon Swifts at The Showgrounds…

Oisin Smyth’s deflected strike just after the break proved to be the match winner as the Bannsiders failed to overtake Glenavon in 4th spot in the Danske Bank Premiership.

Speaking to colerainefc.com, McAree believes his players were beaten by the better side at a rain-drenched Ballycastle Road.

“I thought we were beaten by the better side on the day,” he said.

“I did not think we performed as well as we can do and I do not think we worked as hard as what we can do.

“Is there a slight touch of complacency in it? I don’t know.

“I think that is maybe being a little bit disrespectful to Dungannon Swifts because I think they did really well and caused us problems.

“Runners from deep caused us problems and Paul McElroy dropping back off the front man caused us problems.

“We made the pitch too big for ourselves when we did not have the ball which made it easier for Dungannon to play through us.

“There is quite a bit that we can go away and think about.  We will obviously go away and watch the game back.

“We will try and see what we do a little bit better and we can can obviously do a little bit more in the final third.

“I felt late on we did not create enough opportunities or put Dungannon under any real pressure.

“There are a lot of things but we tried to say as little as possible in the dressing room because sometimes you can speak and it can be a little bit hasty.

“At the end of the day we just have to go away and have a think about things.”

The Stripes are ruing defensive injuries to Lyndon Kane, Aaron Traynor, Stephen O’Donnell and Aaron Canning, but McAree isn’t using that as an excuse for the defeat.

“I thought Daniel Hughes and Paul McElroy were outstanding and the two of them caused us problems all day,” he added.

“We know it is always going to be an issue when you play against boys like that because I know them personally and know their strengths.

“When they get on top of you they take a little bit of confidence out of that – McElroy especially when things are going well for him he tends to build on it.

“We ball watched a little bit, we let runners off our shoulders and did not track runners at times which made it tough for us.

“We miss Aaron Canning and that is not an excuse, that is not the reason why we lost here today, but he is a big loss given the season he has had so far.

“Stephen O’Donnell is another loss, you look at the back four here today and it could be very different and it probably will be at some stage.

“Having said that, the back four today did well today and last week against Ards.”

McAree hopes to add at least one more player to his ranks as the January transfer window closes this week.

“I have heard different stories towards the end of the week and that Michael McCrudden was maybe changing his mind on the move to Derry City,” he concluded.

“It is hard for me to find that out unless I am talking to Michael McCrudden and at the minute I can not get the hold of him.

“There are a few that we are talking to and I would like to think that there will be at least one more coming in.

“After that we will see what we can stretch to but I do feel that there is an opportunity where we need specific players in certain areas to give us that little bit more security in one of the areas and a little bit more guile in the other.”