Declan Caddell 'feels like a broken record' with Crusaders 'not learning' from mistakes

The Crues have now conceded 63 goals – a league-high – across their 29 matches and are winless in their last six.

There was a further blow for Crusaders at Clandeboye Park as basement club Glenavon cut the gap at the bottom to seven points in the race to avoid top-flight relegation with a 3-1 win over Bangor.

Here’s what Caddell said after the match:

THOUGHTS ON THE MATCH?

“It was poor. For me, the first goal probably killed any plan we had in terms of the game.

"It's a blatant foul on Scot Rough, blatant foul, For whatever reason the referee doesn't give it, I don't know.

"We struggled for 10-15 minutes after it, you're 2-0 down within 10 minutes, and you don't get to grow into the game after that.

"We got it back to 2-1, reset at half-time, and once again, we shoot ourselves in the foot after half-time. It's not good enough.”

WERE CLIFTONVILLE QUICK OUT OF THE BLOCKS OR CRUADERS ASLEEP A BIT?

"I think the first goal changed it…whatever game, if you score within two or three minutes, of course you're going to get your backs up, you're going to push for a second, which Cliftonville did.

"That rocked us...Cliftonville were by far the better side for 20-25 minutes, no doubt about that.

"We found our way into the game, got it back to 3-2, and shoot ourselves in the foot again, time and time again.

"Defensively, it’s nowhere near good enough.”

WHAT DO YOU DO ABOUT IT?

"Boys need to now play for the shirt and for their future at the football club, that's the easiest way I can put it.

"They're a young squad and I'm OK with mistakes if they happen now and again and then they learn from them, unfortunately, I think they're not learning from them.

"It's going to be a busy week this week in terms of preparation, because we've Glentoran now coming who are flying high and we need to be 100 times better than we were today to get anything out of the game.”

MOST DISAPPOINTING THING THAT THESE MISTAKES KEEP HAPPENING?

"Yeah, and it's probably the same interview every week.

"They seem to be the same questions and it's time and time again, you feel like a broken record.

"It's schoolboy goals. Second goal, the header at the front post, one man is on the post, one man in the hole, you should never concede a header from that area of the football pitch.

"For whatever reason, we weren’t set up properly...it's poor and it's basics.

"That's the most frustrating thing for me, it's basics of football and basics of defending.”

LOT OF TALK ABOUT INEXPERIENCED SQUAD, BUT BASIC MISTAKES SHOULDN’T BE HAPPENING?

"No, they shouldn't.

"People talk about the lack of experience that we have. For me, experience is that communication aspect, talking the boys through a game, how to manage a game as it develops, not when to clear a ball, how to mark a man, what space to defend.

"Every player should know (the basics) playing at this level.”

CRUSADERS IN TROUBLE OR TOO EARLY TO SAY?

"I think it's too early to say.

"You're looking for a kick-start. Today was a perfect opportunity to kick-start things, we didn't take it...it's been that way for probably about a month, to be honest.

"You're looking that wee start, something to move you forward and get a bit of momentum.

"Each week we haven't got it, you get pulled into a vicious circle...we just need a wee bit of luck to change things.”