‘We will be smart’ – Kearney

COLERAINE boss Oran Kearney insists the club will once again ‘be smart’ in how they spend the money earned from their European exploits…

The Bannsiders’ fairytale run in Europe ended on Thursday night as they were beaten on penalty kicks by Motherwell at The Showgrounds.

The Stripes almost became the first Irish League club in history to progress through three European matches in the same year but Motherwell ‘keeper Trevor Carson had different ideas as he saved all three Coleraine penalties in the shoot-out as Motherwell booked a date with Hapoel Be’er Sheva next week.

In October last year, Coleraine outlined plans to regenerate The Showgrounds – which included a new 3G surface – but this was put on hold due to the financial implications of the coronavirus outbreak.

However, with a nice pay day secured following their back-to-back wins, Kearney hasn’t ruled out using the money to invest in a synthetic surface.

“Obviously from a financial point of view, for a club of our size, it’s obviously really important progressing through ties,” he said.

“In the past we have made a lot of really good changes to the club like a shop, or a new VIP bar and we have tried to be smart about how we go about it and this time will be no different.

“There’s a big possibility we will try and do something on the pitch that will have a huge impact on the club, but we will see.”

With the 2020/21 Danske Bank Premiership season scheduled to take place in a month’s time, Kearney hopes his players can take the experiences of competing in Europe into the new campaign.

“It is a range of feelings at this moment in time in how the match ends up,” he continued.

“At half-time we were on the ropes and you have to pay big credit to Motherwell as their intensity was higher, we struggled to spring a pass or two together and we struggled to lay a glove on them in simple terms.

“For those who don’t know us and how we play here, we are very much a second-half team and we use that small gradient and tiny bit of slope and we use it well.

“At half-time it was quite harrowing with the message as the next goal was vital in two ways because the first way was if Motherwell grabbed a third we would have to absolutely tune in and not pick up a four, five or six-nil defeat, but the stronger mentality would be to hang in there and if the goal does come, we could perhaps turn the tide.

“I think when you bring Skinner on he is very effective at what he does, we altered the way we played, caused them multiple problems and deservedly got back into the game.

“We had the joy of penalties in Maribor and it is a memory that will live long with us, but this one here will live with us for different reasons but that’s life and football.

“You have to take the good ones and enjoy those but you also have to take the tough ones on the chin and the possibilities of what could have happened.

“I hope experiences like tonight will only strengthen us in a performance point of view to the place we want to go.”

And what did Kearney tell Robinson after the game on Thursday night?

“I just gave a hug as I think I was wrecked and he was wrecked,” he concluded.

“I wished him all the best for the next round.

“As I said before the game, we go toe-to-toe and we had a bit of fun on the sideline and everything else that goes with it but there’s a big respect there and that will carry on.”