Declan Caddell's 'something as a staff we’ll look at over the week' reaction to 'way off it' Crusaders
For the third Premiership match in a row Crusaders finished with zero goals and zero points – but Saturday’s 3-0 loss to Portadown stood out for all the wrong reasons according to boss Declan Caddell.
Having suffered defeats to Dungannon Swifts and Glenavon in the week leading up to the Ports’ visit, Caddell was hoping to turn what he viewed as positive performances into an end product.
Instead Caddell could only reflect on a display against Portadown that “wasn’t like us” and “way off it”.
Ryan Mayse broke the deadlock on 28 minutes before second-half strikes from Ahu Obhakhan and Lewis MacKinnon increased the home misery.
"We looked leggy, we looked tired, we looked five yards off it,” said Caddell. “The first 25 minutes I thought we were very good then you’re looking a response after conceding which we didn’t get.
"As the game went on we gradually looked more tired.
"As a coaching staff we’ve maybe got to look at that and work out what our workload was this week…did we work them too hard?
“Portadown were excellent today, they were hungry, they looked sharp and caused us problems.
"Three-nil could’ve been more, that’s the sad reality.
"We’ve been there already this season (1-0 down) and you’re looking for a response and you’ve always gotten it.
"But it wasn’t there (today), you’ve seen Portadown and how they dug in and fought and it wasn’t there in the second half (from Crusaders)
"It just wasn’t like us today.
"Crusaders is built on hard work…always has been.
"When you’re on the sideline looking across and thinking ‘they just look flogged’ that’s the disappointing thing for me.
"It’s something as a staff we’ll look at over the week...the first two, three games we out-worked teams, we out-fought teams.”
Only Larne have scored fewer goals than the Crues across the Premiership but, significantly, off two fewer games. And, after kicking off the league campaign with back-to-back clean sheets, Crusaders have conceded over the five subsequent Premiership appearances.
“I think this season that’s four or five goals we’ve scored in the league and, for me, isn’t good enough,” said Caddell. “The last couple of games I’ve been full of praise for all the players in terms of performance and how we’ve played and maybe just didn’t get the rub of the green.
"But they’re massive chances (today) and if you don’t take them you get punished.
"But you look at the game overall and did we do enough to get back into the game? Probably not…Portadown were excellent.
"The hardest thing in football is creating those opportunities…the sad thing for us is we’re creating and not putting them away.
"I’m not overly concerned with that aspect of it, I know they’ll come with the opportunities we’re creating.
"At the minute it’s that final touch, the wee bit of luck sometimes you need.
"Overall today, disappointed in the result, disappointed in the performance, disappointed in the second half...we were way off it.
"The goals we’ve conceded the past three games aren’t good enough either.
"The disappointing thing is the manner of the performance...we couldn’t get near them.”