We owe fans some ‘derby’ joy - Taggart

The Sky Blues were very much second best in all three meetings with their most bitter rivals last season, losing all three encounters.

Defensive midfielder Taggart, who, in his fourth season at the Showgrounds, is now one of the club’s longest-serving players, is acutely aware of what the fixture means to the club’s fans and insists the players will give a better acount of themselves in this season’s ‘derby’ clashes.

“All the players will be looking forward to it - it’s just a pity that we couldn’t have gone into the game on an even bigger high with a win last Saturday,” Taggart told Times Sport.

“But the Coleraine games look after themselves - no-one needs any extra incentive.

“I think all the boys who were here last year feel we let ourselves down against Coleraine last season, especially the 5-1 defeat at home which was an awful experience.

“In the second game we did rightly to keep it nil-nil until the last minute before we lost to a goalkeeping mistake but then in the Boxing Day game they absolutely battered us after we had Mark Surgenor sent off.”

Taggart says Ballymena’s players were hugely disappointed after letting a vital win slip through their fingers at the weekend, when an injury time equaliser earned Dungannon Swifts a point at the Showgrounds.

“I thought we had dominated the match from start to finish.

“They didn’t create any chances but we got the goal, then sat back and got hit with a sucker punch at the end.

“We dropped off too much and they had three or four players waiting to knock it in.

“You always know what you’re going to get against Dungannon – they always seem to be scrappy, physical games between us and them so I don’t think there was any great surprise in that – but I think they were lucky to come away with a draw.

“I really did think it was going to be one of those days where we wouldn’t score but then wee Cush came up with a wonder goal.

“I think a lot of us thought that was the game won, particularly as it was so late on, and we thought we would see it out but that wasn’t what happened.”

Having missed the start of the season through suspension, Taggart has had to wait his chance and he’s determined to hold onto his place.

“Aaron Stewart went in and did a great job in the role I play.

“I got back into the team as a result of injuries and I’m just hoping I can stay there.

“We’re getting results now and again but I don’t think we’re playing anywhere near as well as we can.

“But the bench is gradually getting stronger week by week so I’m confident things will get better,” added Gavin.