Ballymena United offer injury update on captain Colin Coates suffered in narrow Premiership defeat to Crusaders

The 37-year-old was forced off in the first-half against former club Crusaders at Seaview as Jim Ervin’s side suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat after Adam Lecky’s strike on the stroke of half-time.

Coates was a summer arrival at the Showgrounds after leaving Cliftonville and has scored two Premiership goals this season alongside starting in both of Ballymena’s league victories to date over Carrick Rangers and Dungannon Swifts.

His absence will be a bitter blow for boss Ervin with his team currently occupying bottom spot – one point adrift of 11th-placed Glenavon and two behind Rodney McAree’s Swifts.

They have the worst top-flight record in front of goal having netted only five times in 12 matches, but Ervin was delighted with the showing of his side against the title-challenging Crues and felt they could have even earned victory on another night.

“I’m very proud,” Ervin told the club’s media channel after the match. “I’m very pleased with the players and the quality this evening.

"The only thing we lacked was that goal. We had two really good chances in the first 15 minutes and if we take them it’s a completely different game.

"The Crues hit us with a bit of a sucker punch before half-time, so it’s a disappointing result, but I’m a very proud manager with how the boys took the game plan we had on board and played it to a tee.

"We’re disappointed not only to not be coming away from Seaview with a point, but three points.”

Ervin was forced into five changes from their last league outing against Newry City and also had to alter Ballymena’s formation after a sickness bug at the club during the week.

"Up until Thursday evening we were continuing with the same shape, but with personnel out we had to change it with what we had available to us,” he explained. “We went to a 3-5-2 and worked on it late on Thursday night.

"We put the game plan together quickly and the boys executed it to a tee and to a man I’m very proud.

"There aren’t too many evenings where you’re leaving Seaview disappointed with not getting three points, let alone a point.

"You look at Crusaders changing their shape 15 minutes into the game and then keeping the ball in the corner with their game management at the end.

"That shows the respect they gave us by doing that.

"On another night we might have had a penalty kick, which we felt at the time was and we’ve seen the footage of it and on another night the game changes.”