Kearney set to fight on

COLERAINE boss Oran Kearney is determined to keep fighting on despite suffering another setback with defeat against Warrenpoint Town on Saturday.
Howard Beverland's header - as close as Coleraine came in the first half.Howard Beverland's header - as close as Coleraine came in the first half.
Howard Beverland's header - as close as Coleraine came in the first half.

The Bannsiders went down 2-1 at Stangmore Park making it four defeats on the bounce for Kearney’s men. Speaking after the game the Ballymoney man said he wasn’t feeling pressure as such, but added that he would walk away if he felt he couldn’t take the team forward.

People will always talk,” he told Times Sport.

“They will talk when things are going well and they always have their little bits and pieces to say.

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“When things are going bad, that’s magnified. I don’t feel any pressure and I never do but, at the same stretch, if I felt I had brought it as far as I could, I would walk away from it.

“I never really been one during my playing career to pay heed to what others are saying and it’s the same now.

“I wouldn’t feel pressure as such but it would be more a case of pride and honesty if I felt I couldn’t do much more then it would be time to give someone else a go. I would definitely do that.”

The Bannsiders knew the importance of the game with Ards and Warrenpoint the only teams below them in the table at the minute. And they certainly made a bright start to the game. ‘Point keeper Jonny Parr pulled off two stunning saves early on to deny both Howard Beverland and Gareth Tommons, before Town began to dominate and two goals in the space of three minutes from Stephen Hughes and Marty Havern did the damage to the Bannsiders.

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Shane Jennings’ late reply, when the visitors started to get on top again, was not enough to snatch a draw.

“I thought we started the game well until the goal from the corner and then we finished the game well but the part in between was where the damage was done. We could have been 2-0 up before the first goal,” Kearney said.

“Their keeper has pulled off four or five very good saves in the game but he pulled off two really good saves from headers before they scored. Probably, where we are, at this point in time, we needed one of those to go in. In a game like this, the first goal was always going to be the vital one.

“We have a few injuries to important players and two very important players in particular and for a side like us, and like Warrenpoint, we can’t really be doing without our couple of star men. We are a different side without them, there’s no arguing that.

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“It’s been a very frustrating time and one that is hard to take at this point in time.

“We did a lot of hard work this week, both physically and mentally in the run up to this game. We saw bits of pieces of it in the game but unfortunately it wasn’t enough for us to get anything out of the game.”

Meanwhile, Kearney has revealed to Times Sport that he has spoken to Darren Boyce about his loan spell at Dungannon Swifts, but added he hasn’t made any decision as to whether or not the striker will be recalled early.

“I spoke with Darren last week about how things are going for him,” he said.

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“His goal scoring ability has never been in question, but I think Darren needed to re-evaluate a few things. I think the move away has helped him do that. At the minute I haven’t decided what will happen in January, I will speak to Darren Murphy closer to the time and take it from there.”