Andy Waterworth aims to bounce back from Irish Cup agony

Despite starting brightly the Blues put in a subdued display that ended in a 2-0 defeat to Glenavon.

Linfield were looking to end their four-year wait for an Irish Cup success, but their search for major silverware glory continues.

“Right now it is raw. The boys are gutted and if you go into our changing room you could hear a pin drop,” skipper Waterworth said.

“We will take a break and individually people will handle it in different ways.

“It is the senior players who have to look at it. We didn’t give enough.

“We will look at ourselves. There’s only so much the younger lads can do like providing a wee spark here or there.

“Going forward, we know something has to change after losing two cup finals and finishing second in the league.”

“There’s no point in feeling sorry for ourselves. We will probably strengthen in the summer and the manager will be working hard.

“For me personally, I will be working harder than ever when pre-season starts.”

Waterworth hopes Linfield’s younger squad members can learn from Saturday’s disappointment.

“For me it is a bitter one to swallow but in a strange way it might be something the younger lads like Paul Smyth and Niall Quinn can use,” he added.

“They won’t want this feeling again.

“They are the future going forward and as a young player it can go away from you quicker but it stays with the older players a bit.”