Mick McDermott still confident of a Glentoran title push

Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at Crusaders leaves Glentoran 17 points off league leader Larne.

The Oval outfit do have two games in hand on the top three, but it is still a big margin to make up.

McDermott accepts the size of the task which faces his squad, but he has confidence in them turning things around.

“It is what it is,” said the Head Coach.

“We have to start climbing up. I’m confident we’ll do that, I don’t doubt it for a second.

“Where we end up we end up. I still believe we will be pushing up there come the end of the season.

“Every game in this league is difficult, but thankfully we have some games at the Oval.

“We know we need to start picking up points, we won’t hide from that, I know it and the players know it.”

Saturday’s clash at Seaview looked to be heading for a draw before Jordan Forsythe slotted home from the spot after Luke McCullough was adjudged to have handled Declan Caddell’s shot on 82 minutes.

The Crues wrapped up the win two minutes later as Ross Clarke weave his magic before slotting low past Rory Brown.

McDermott though felt his side had their opportunities in the game

“I thought we were the better team in the first half, I thought we played some good football,” he said.

“We sliced them open a couple of times but we didn’t make their keeper work really.

“They got on top of us in the first ten minutes of the second half, but we created our own problems, we got caught trying to play out a couple of times.

“We were trying to play in the midfield and they caught us so that helped them build the momentum in the first ten minutes.

“We had to get ourselves out of that.

“I thought most of the second half with their long ball threat and knockdowns and flick-ons it’s always a possibility that they will create something.

“When you come to a place like Seaview and you create a couple of chances then you have to take them.

“Dale Gorman had one which came across the box and he has to hit the target, Jay Donnelly’s header, if that ends up in the back of the net it’s a different game again.

“So as I say I thought we were the better side in the first half, they got a hold of the game in the first ten minutes of the second half and pinned us back a bit.

“It was sort of even for most of the second half though, then they got the penalty and then you have to chase the game.

“It seems to be the correct decision given the reaction of the players, I think the hand moved back.

“I couldn’t see it but talking to the players it does seem to have been a penalty.”