Response the name of the game for OK

COLERAINE manager Oran Kearney is hoping that his side can respond after last weekend’s defeat to Glentoran…

The Bannsiders welcome Newry City to The Showgrounds this evening, with Darren Mullen’s side having won their last two fixtures against Limavady United and Dungannon Swifts.

Newry, who were promoted to the top flight this season, have already caught the eye for some notable results so far and this hasn’t gone unnoticed by Kearney.

“Newry have had a great start to the season,” he told Coleraine TV.

“Generally the teams who come up start well and have a good impact due to the emotion of being in the top flight, playing in new stadiums and everything else.

“They’ve made a really good start and I’m not surprised as they’ve a lot of good players.

“However, we’ve got to lick our wounds after the defeat to Glentoran and make sure we’re ready.”

The Bannsiders lost their home fixture against Glenavon at the end of August but responded in fine style to pick up maximum points against Dungannon Swifts.

As such, Kearney is looking for a similar reaction from his troops this time around as they prepare for a third game in six days after Tuesday night’s North-West Cup success against Institute.

“It has been a busy week for us,” he added.

“We trained on Monday, we were able to give a few guys minutes on Tuesday night but the preparations have been on Newry.

“We lost to Glenavon earlier on in the season, it’s not ideal losing games but it’s a part of football, but the key thing is the response.

“We got the response after the Glenavon game and it’s so important we get that same spring in our step and same reaction.”

Speaking after the defeat to Glentoran, Kearney remarked that the game changed with the refusal to give his side a spot kick early in the second-half.

“For big parts of the game it played out how you would expect it to,” he reflected.

“It was two teams in top form, up around the top of the league and you don’t expect it to be much in it.

“For an away performance, I thought for large parts of it we were bang on.

“In the first-half, Marty pulled off a great save but other than that, I don’t really remember much else.

“We were maybe a pass or two from creating an opportunity, then in the second-half, we absorb five or six corners before the challenge on Matthew which looks like a nailed on and stonewall penalty.

“We go 1-0 down and we chased the game and created a few opportunities but the big moment was not getting a penalty as it could have given us something to hold onto.”