INSTITUTE: Deery gutted after latest close defeat at Seasiders

Deery believes his side isn’t far away in terms of getting on a positive run of results and he also felt they did more than enough to secure at least a point at Clandeboye Park.

“The players are giving me everything they have. I wouldn’t be doing it otherwise,” he said.

“They are a cracking bunch of lads and they have been fantastic for me. Quite simply we never got the rub of the green.

“This is my first season in senior management and we’ve come a long way from pre-season. Our performance levels have not been bad.

“It’s just seeing out games and keeping clean sheets in this division. I’ll have to work on that side of it with the team but we definitely deserved something out of this game. I would question people who would say we deserved nothing.

“I think we deserved something and we were unlucky to get beat.”

Not for the first time this season the Waterside men dominated for long periods but didn’t capitalise when they had got in behind the Seasiders back-line and only really tested goalkeeper Chris Johns once.

“We totally dominated large parts of the game,” added Deery.

“In the first half we created chances in great areas but we didn’t take them and then in the second half, their man curls a free kick into the top corner.

“They had two chances, both free kicks, one which hit the post in the first half and one which curled into the top corner in the second half.

“It was a great goal but then the only other chance in the second half was when the boy ballooned it over the bar from 12 yards. That’s all we gave away.”

The 30-year-old will continue to back his players and despite the defeat he was happy with the way his team played.

“We look a dangerous team and we look full of ideas, but unfortunately you have to put the ball in the net and again we didn’t take our chances,” he said.

“Robbie Hume had a few chances and Garbhan (Friel) got into a good position but spooned his shot.

“We had to adapt. Ryan Morrow was sick so we had to go three at the back, and we went really attacking. I’m not one for stats but I’d say 65 per cent of the game was played in their half.

“We didn’t create a lot but they are known to be strong defensively. We still created problems and got into good areas and I’m scratching my head wondering how we have fallen to a 1-0 defeat again.

“The players played the way I want them to play; they were brave and they got on the ball and we just need a wee rub of the green.”