Gregg looking at bigger picture

Gregg played a very under strength team as he had one eye on last night’s (Tuesday) Ladbrokes.com Championship One encounter with Carrick Rangers and he also wanted to see if any of his young players could step up to the mark.

“We didn’t play many of the first team, the reason being I wanted to see if some of the young boys can come in whenever we do have injuries,” he said.

“Thomas Wray isn’t fit, Vinny Sweeney broke down in training last Thursday night and if I had have played them against Portstewart, they would have been both out for a month, so I wasn’t going to take that chance.

“Alan Ryan was away on holiday and that’s why young Corey was in goals and I’m not going to apologise for the side I played, we knew we were going to do that last week, because we have the bigger picture to look at.”

The Coleraine man also acknowledged that the likes of Conor McShane, Gareth Smith, Matthew Smyth and Wilson are all still learning the game.

“The young boys have a bit to do and they know that, in fact they were told that after the game, but they are good young lads. I thought even some of the senior players were off their game.

“Conor McShane, who has been very good in the last three games, he was poor.”

He said he may have become over-confident.

“The young lads have got to a stage now where they know me long enough and they aren’t scared of me putting them off their game, but I told them after the game that if they think because they are young that I’m not going to tell you whenever you are wrong, then they need to think again.

“In fact they were told in no uncertain terms that performances like that won’t be tolerated.

“I think Portstewart out battled us in key areas, I felt their centre-half Steven Tosh, who is 33-years-old, did everything simple, he won his headers and cleared the ball, we didn't win our headers or didn’t clear the ball, so you need to correct those type of things.

“But as I have said I make no qualms about it, I rested players from the first team for the Portstewart game, because my next two games are Carrick Rangers and Loughgall.

“Carrick will certainly finish in the top three and Loughgall will also finish in the top three, so hopefully I can get my first team out on the pitch for those games.”

Gregg also admitted that David Ogilby’s departure to Coleraine may have annoyed some of his senior players.

“Obviously we have lost David to Coleraine and I would like to wish him all the best, he couldn’t turn down the offer, but I feel it might have upset some of the senior players in the team that he has gone, but we have to get on with it.”