'It is disappointing and it's a difficult period for us at the moment', says Dean Shiels after Coleraine lose at Carrick Rangers
Coleraine head coach Dean Shiels says the Bannsiders failed to cope with the conditions as they were beaten by Carrick Rangers at Taylors Avenue.
First-half goals from Paul Heatley and Daniel Gibson would ultimately do the damage for the hosts, and despite Jamie Glackin's second-half effort, Coleraine slipped to a third successive defeat in the Premiership.
After watching his side drop to 9th spot in the table, Shiels said: "It is disappointing and it's a difficult period for us at the moment.
"We played Carrick three weeks ago roughly and we were brilliant, dominated the ball, made rotations and had free-flowing football.
"I tried to warn the players that it wasn't going to be like that when we come here in the muck and the nettles, plus the wind and the rain.
"It's difficult to come here, it's a different sport when you come to play Carrick here rather than on a 4G pitch when everything is nice for you.
"We tried to pick the most experienced team we had. In the first-half we just didn't deal with the conditions, we didn't deal with the fight and the scrap and the battle.
"We threw everything at them in the second-half, we rallied and got back into it but it just wasn't enough."
Coleraine face derby rivals and league leaders Ballymena United away from home next weekend.
Shiels believes the nature of such a big game provides the best platform for his side to respond from recent setbacks as they aim to climb back up the table.
"It would give us a big lift,” said Shiels when asked what a win would do for his side.
"We've Kyle (McClelland) and Graham (Kelly) coming back which gives us an opportunity to look at something different in defence.
"We haven't had that luxury to do that in regards to we've had to roll out the same back four.
"Graham came in today and he probably wasn't fully right but he came through the wars for us - but we just didn't have any other option in that area.
"No better game for us.
"It will be a game where we have to respond, we have to show up from minute one and we will be working hard this week to put that right.
"It's three losses in a row.
"Glenavon lost three or four in a row, Ballymena and Cliftonville the same, so the league is mad.”