Declan Devine: 'The goals we've given away are stuff you wouldn't see at Mallusk on a Saturday morning' as Glentoran chief highlights the importance of a crucial summer at The Oval following European play-off exit to Coleraine

The east Belfast side were well beaten by the Bannsiders as Jamie McGonigle’s brace – either side of a Lyndon Kane tap-in – sealed a comfortable 3-0 win for the men from the north coast.

A chorus of boos followed the full-time whistle and Devine – who was recently appointed to the hot seat on a permanent basis – gave an honest assessment on the defeat but insists he still has “great hopes” of turning the tide.

"It was a feeble performance...the goals we've given away are stuff you wouldn't see at Mallusk on a Saturday morning,” he fumed.

"To perform in the manner that we did, it's easy to come out at 2-0 down and have a rattle for 15 minutes - that's fine and that's the easy part.

"Coleraine dropped off the game but we didn't do enough to even compete, never mind win the game.

"As I say, I'm really really disappointed because every football club in every country in the world needs as much prize money and the ability to play in Europe...and we haven't lifted a finger over the last number of games and that is a sad reflection.

"I still have great hopes because there's a lot of great people at the club, there's a lot of people working extremely hard but the playing side of things needs a reset.

"It needs a style, it needs an identity because at the minute we don't have that.”

Rhys Marshall has already confirmed that he will leave for a return to Glenavon, whilst a host of other names are coming out of contract in the summer such as Bobby Burns, Shay McCartan, Seanan Clucas and Luke McCullough.

With that in mind, Devine knows the importance of getting things right in the summer to get players “fighting for the club”.

He added: "We will sit down this week and discuss what the way forward is.

"Obviously it hasn't worked...I've had defeats in my career and I've lost big games but tonight I'm standing out there with 15 minutes to go and it's sore.

"We can't let anybody waltz into this famous old stadium again and just stay in the game and know we will give it to them.

"I think it is a crucial summer for the club.

"I think we need to find our identity, we need people who are going to fight with all their lives and for the club and as you saw on Saturday past, there's a lot of good players coming through.

"Tonight was too big a game for them, you can't put players in there and for them to take the brunt of disappointment at not qualifying for Europe.

"I have a clear identity of where I want to go with it, the club and the board have a clear identity of where they want to go with it but it isn't about that.

"It's about digesting one of the softest defeats I've ever felt. It's easy to come out and play when you're 2-0 down, but the manner of the goals we gave away tonight were not good."