Rodney McAree pinpoints goal frustration which 'sums our season up a little bit at this moment in time'

The visitors took the lead through 17-year-old Josh Williamson before Adam Brooks doubled Crusaders’ advantage before half-time.

Fraser Bryden then netted his fifth Premiership goal of the campaign after being introduced off the bench, finishing off a move which was started by Robbie Weir chasing down a lost cause.

Here’s what McAree had to say after the match:

DISAPPOINTING DAY?

"It’s a disappointing day coming off the back of a good performance last week at Glenavon...we have to try and find that level of consistency.

"At the minute we're struggling to find that, but I think what beat us today was a team that was prepared to run a wee bit more than what we were.

"I think whenever you look at the third goal, it probably sums it up. Robbie Weir, who, I think he's 37, has played a ball off the back of his own player (Adam) Brooks and it looks as if it's going out of play, but he's the only one on the pitch that hasn't given up.

"He's the one who showed the desire and the determination that he wants to go and keep it in, and it sort of sums our season up a little bit at this moment in time because we had nobody reacting to it and nobody willing to run after it.

"I think we were at a stage where we were just hoping that it was going to run out of play instead of seeing the ball out of play and doing it properly.

"If we're going to improve things and we're going to get out of the situation that we're in at this moment in time, we have to create our own little bit of fortune as well.

"We just can't hope and rely on things going our way. It was disappointing. I thought we started the second half reasonably well and the third goal then killed us...it's a wee bit disheartening to be honest.”

THIRD GOAL EVEN MORE FRUSTRATING AS ABOUT TO BRING ON THREE SUBS?

"Yeah, which were all positive as well.

"We were bringing in Mitch, Bobby-Jack and Tomas Galvin, so there were three forward-thinking players and we were trying to get back into the game.

"We knew that if we got the next goal at 2-0, anything could happen, but we weren't reactive enough today all over the pitch.

"Whether it was in Crusaders' 18-yard box or our own 18-yard box, middle of the pitch, we didn't react to first, second or third balls quickly enough.

"The hungrier team, the team that was prepared to run and chase things and fight for each other, won the game today.”

FINAL BIT JUST LACKING AS YOU GOT IN SOME GOOD POSITIONS?

“We did, even in the first half I actually thought we weren't too far away, but we were still second best.

"I thought we'd done okay at times. We get good ball into the box and another day Junior maybe gets on the end of a couple of crosses that go into the box.

"Kealan Dillon has an effort from the edge of the box...on another day, we could have maybe nicked something.

"But I just think we needed to push ourselves that wee bit more and just be that wee bit more reactive, anticipate and get into the areas where you can...I look at Crusaders' second goal.

"It's a forward ball, Danny Wallace heads the ball and Lloyd Anderson is the one who reacts to pick the second ball up…we don't have a player within 10 yards probably, and that's disappointing.

"We have to react to the second ball – that's what we didn't do well enough today.

IS IT A CONFIDENCE THING?

"I think the confidence is a little bit low, but I don't see any reason why you shouldn't run or work hard. That's the basics.

"Teams go out on the pitch, teams have to work hard. You have to give your all for your team.

"We spoke in the dressing room about supporters coming in and paying their hard-earned money. I know a lot of supporters are coming in and I know it's a lot of money for people to come and watch Irish League games. We have to deliver a bit back.

"Everybody's earning a couple of quid that's in the dressing room. No matter how much that is, you have to earn your wage. If you go to your job and you don't earn your wage, you end up losing your job. I'm a realist towards that as well.

"We just need to do a wee bit more and give a wee bit back.”