A real test of character for Coleraine

Coleraine have lost their last four games, a run which has seen them slip down the Danske Bank Premiership table.

Kearney though has great belief in his squad’s ability to turn things around.

“It’s going to take hard work and graft and probably character more than anything else,” he said.

“It is a s strong a squad as I’ve ever had at Coleraine.

“I said to the boys that we’ve had tough times in the past, but I hadn’t anything close to the squad I have at the minute.

“The way things have gone in the last couple of weeks has made it tough for people and it’s just that bit of confidence more than anything else.

“We’ve a great changing room with great people who have the club’s best interests at heart, and who have had brilliant experiences over the last couple of years and they want more of that.”

The last time the Bannsiders lost four consecutive games in a row was during the 2014/15 season.

They have also failed to find the net during this run of four defeats, something which they haven’t done for almost a decade.

“It’s very frustrating but we had a good chat with the players after the Dungannon game last week,” said Kearney.

“The last three or four games in particular have been disappointing as they have followed a similar trait.

“It’s easy looking back to when things are functioning well because in the majority of those games you’re going ahead, you’re managing the game well, and you maybe pick something of after that to see the game out.

“Disappointingly the recurring theme over the last few weeks is that we have gone behind.

“When you go behind when you’re in the middle of a good run players can cope with it.

“We’ve made life hard for ourselves in the last couple of games as we’re normally a team that rarely changes how we play or how we go about things.

“But we’ve found ourselves in a position where we’re having to adjust formations and personnel, because you’re trying to unlock the door someway from the sidelines.

“For a few different reasons it has got into a rut now and some of the players are struggling with it.

“For all the experiences over the last 18 months it just shows how football can be.

“Training has been phenomenal and we look the exact same team as we did last season.

“But when we go out on to the pitch things just aren’t functioning how we would like it to.

“We have to get the heads around it and work even harder.”

Warrenpoint Town come into the game full of confidence after back-to-back wins in the league.

“We have to let the players look at the last two games and see what we’ve done really well and apply it against Coleraine,” said boss Barry Gray.

“On our current run of form we have to look forward to the game.”