My Sky Blues side didn't crumble after conceding early but we believe we can turn spirited performances into results, says boss Jim Ervin

A solitary goal from Lee Bonis would earn the champions all three points in a game played in difficult conditions due to heavy rain on the pitch.

The Sky Blues competed well throughout the game and spurned a big chance to equalise midway through the first half as Michael Place was thwarted by Rohan Ferguson.

Ervin said: "The positives we can take from it is that we've held the league champions at home right until the death.

"We conceded a goal so early on and other teams could have crumbled, caved in and lost by three or four.

"We didn't and I thought we battled really well.

"They keep the ball really well and you expect that from Larne but I felt we were in their faces and we performed.

"I thought our game plan was executed to a tee - bar the result - as what we asked the players to do, they did that by staying in the game and we didn't take our chances.”

Despite still being in the relegation zone, Ervin is hoping that good performances can turn into positive results as they enter the latter stages of the campaign.

A lack of goals is also a major concern for the Sky Blues as they have only netted 18 times in the Premiership this term.

"Football is all about confidence and if you're losing games, your confidence does go,” he added.

"The one thing I can say is that there's been very few times this season where I felt really let down by the players.

"There were a couple of scorelines that might have got away from us but disappointing performance levels have been few and far between.

"The majority of the time the performance levels have been there and the work ethic but it's just that end of the pitch we are struggling in terms of scoring goals.

"That's why strikers earn the big bucks in football because they're the ones who put the finishing touches and get the scorelines you're hoping for.

"Even towards the end when we pushed Kym (Nelson) up, I thought we were going to get something and we huffed and puffed to make it as nervy.”