‘It’s time for me to find out what I’m made of as a manager’

“They scored a decently-worked goal to get their noses in front but we got back into it from a penalty, the consequence of the spot-kick offence also being that they had a man sent off,” explained the Larne manager.

“That’s how the scoreline remained until half time and you might imagine that we would go on to win from that situation, 1-1 and with a one-man advantage.

“However, that desired outcome didn’t materialise. They stuck well to their task and they got another goal, so it was very disappointing that we had a good opportunity to go on and win the game - and we simply didn’t do it.

“On reflection, Bangor probably did deserve to win the match but I was angry that we didn’t seize our chance. I keep telling the guys how good they are and they really are of a good quality.

“That said, there must be something else that is the problem and it’s my job to find out what that is. We won our first league match and have now lost three in a row by the same 2–1 scoreline.”

McAlinden, in his first full season in charge as Larne boss, admitted: “This is a whole new experience for me as a manager and it’s time now for me to find out what I am made of in terms of management.

“It’s alarming that we will have played four league matches and still only have three points, sharing bottom spot in the table points-wise.”

On Saturday the former Cliftonville and Carrick Rangers defender switches his attention to the Steel and Sons Cup and the visit of Ballymacash Rangers.

“We have a distraction from our league problems when we take on Ballymacash at Inver Park.

“They surprised a good Lisburn Rangers team managed by Paul Kirk in the last round, so we need to respect them - but we really should be beating them on home soil.

“They will be typically dangerous because they will feel they have nothing to lose, so it’s a different kind of test. We must keep our focus and go out and play the football we know we are capable of,” he added.