Oran Kearney insists frustrating defeat was ‘self-inflicted’

It was another typically tight affair between the two sides.

Both teams had enough chances to win the game, but in the end it was the hosts, thanks to Matthew Snoddy’s late winner, who took the three points.

Kearney’s disappointment was there for all to see at the end as he felt his side had enough chances not to be in that position at the end.

“It’s self-inflicted, it’s as simple as that,” said the Bannsiders’ boss.

“The big thing you try and look for in every game is chance creation and what we’re getting from that point of view.

“I dread to think to be honest about the amount of chances we created today.

“But it’s simple, and people in football say it all the time, if you don’t put the ball in the back of the net – and we’d umpteen opportunities to do that – you leave yourself open.

“Number one - it keeps them in the game and it keeps their mindset in the game and you leave yourself open to a sucker punch.

“For us it’s a highly frustrating day.”

Kearney was also disappointed by referee Andrew Davey’s decision not to punish Danny Wallace, who looked to have pulled Eoin Bradley back as he raced clear on goal at the start of the second half.

Kearney felt it should have been a red card for the Lurgan Blues defender, however he said that was not the reason why his side lost on the day.

“Again, it’s another big decision when ‘Skinner’ goes through,” he said.

“If it’s any other striker in the league it’s a red card and a free-kick.

“But because it’s him it’s different. He’s absolutely a victim of his reputation.

“We play in Europe every year, or we have thankfully in the last few years, and he gets a load of free-kicks because people don’t know him and people don’t judge him in that way.

“Here, what he needs to do to earn a free-kick is crazy.

“I need to see it back but for me in live play I looks a very straightforward decision.

“But, and I will not stand over that as much as anything else.

“We’re victims of our own downfall today.

“I shouldn’t need a decision from the referee in the 50th minute for them to go to ten men for us to hopefully go on and win a game.

“We’ve missed double figures of chances during the game and I’ll not look past that.

“I’m not going to stand here and try and use a referee’s decision.”