CLIFTONVILLE manager Eddie Patterson has blasted last week's defending against Crusaders, and demanded a radical improvement when his players step out against Bangor this afternoon.
A 3-1 derby defeat was the latest blow for the Solitude boss, with the Reds now sitting 13 points off the pace in the JJB Sports Premiership.
The way in which Stephen Baxter’s Crues dismantled Cliftonville’s defence has left Patterson searching fo
r answers, starting with today’s showdown with high-flying Bangor at Celtic Park.
“I spoke to reporters on Saturday after the defeat and I said we lost the game in the first half. I explained to my players where Crusaders would be dangerous, and that included set plays. We then concede from that very threat because my players didn’t do their jobs properly,” Patterson said.
“Crusaders’ third goal was a real kick in the teeth for us and it killed the game off, because up until then I thought if we got a goal then it would throw the cat amongst the pigeons.
“But we let ourselves down, and also the fans who deserved a better display in a derby game against Crusaders.
“The defending was amateurish, but that is probably an insult to Amateur League football.”
Looking ahead to today’s game with fourth-place Bangor, Patterson added: “We are at home to Bangor and it is another massive game for us. They will be buoyed by their recent results.
“If my players think they are going to get it easy on Saturday then they should forget about it – there is no point turning up.
“We had a very lacklustre attitude against Crusaders last week and we got scalped.
“If we repeat that then the same outcome will arrive – it doesn’t matter what opposition you come up against.”
The full article contains 311 words and appears in News Letter newspaper.
