Platt challenges his players to prove they are up for the fight

Platt was furious on Saturday after watching his side drop points to one of the bottom two for the second time in four days.

And with some big games coming up over the next few weeks, including the Co-Operative Insurance Cup final, the manager has asked his players if they have the stomach for the fight.

"You have to ask players if they are up for the battle, if they want to be part of the future," Platt told Times Sport.

"The bigger picture is we have four or five cup finals to play before the month's out, and if players want to be part of that then they better get their fingers out.

"I'm not happy, I'm not happy at all. We've done really well this season going to places like Linfield, Glentoran, Cliftonville and Crusaders and winning well. But when we've come up against teams that we should be beating if we play to the best of your ability and we perform like that, well it's really disappointing.

"I know that's only our fourth defeat in 16 league games, which is not bad by any stretch, but we don't want to let that slip away now.

"I'll be doing all I can to make sure that doesn't happen. I don't feel people did enough for me today, but they'll definitely do enough the next time we take the field.

"You could question the players about a lot of things today (Saturday).

"Do they worry about being in the top six? Is the cup final enough for them?

"Well it's not enough for me that's for sure.

"The players will know on Tuesday night that they should have performed better today because I'm sure they would rather be playing a match than doing what they will be doing on Tuesday night.

"We didn't create enough in the second half. We had a couple of half chances and a couple of scrambled efforts in and around the box, but it wasn't enough.

"It was lacklustre, we played sideways passes. We've good pace on the flanks and up front and apart from a few times in the first half we never really showed that.

"Again that's down to me questioning the players, are they up for the battle? I certainly am and I believe they are too."

Platt's mood wasn't improved with the news that he will have to go 10 days without a game now. Next Saturday's planned Irish Cup quarter final was shelved following Larne's subsequent appeal of the expulsion from the competition.

It meant nine teams went into Saturday's semi final draw with Coleraine possibly facing Linfield in the last four if they make it through the quarter finals, if and when that happens.

However, it seems Coleraine's quarter final tie may still be played this weekend if the IFA Executive Committee decide to uphold their decision to expel Larne at tonight's (Tuesday), meeting meaning Newry and Loughgall could play their sixth round tie on Wednesday.

So providing there are no replays Coleraine could face the winner this Saturday, but at the minute David Platt, like the rest of us, is in the dark.

"It's been a frustrating scenario for us, but we'll play whoever is put in front of us," said Platt.

"Obviously our game on Tuesday night now against Portadown is called off now because they have to play a quarter final replay against Crusaders.

"And now we don't know what's going to happen on Saturday because Larne have appealed the IFA's decision.

"We tried to do the IFA a favour by re-arranging the game today when we should have been playing in the Irish Cup. But I wasn't happy about today's fixture full stop.

"It would have given us time to have had a couple of injured players back. That's the frustrating thing for us.

"Someone had suggested we move the Dungannon game on March 23 to this Tuesday night, but why should we be crucified and play all these games back-to-back?

"I wish I had been asked about today's game rather than be told it was re-arranged."