WHAT THE MANAGER SAID: Ballymena's Jim Ervin picks out 'individual errors' as key to defeat
Ballymena United finished 2-0 down at home to Linfield as Chris McKee’s finish and a Chris Shields penalty proved decisive at The Showgrounds.
Here’s what Ballymena United boss Jim Ervin told BBC Sport NI Sportsound:
FRUSTRATION OVER THE TWO LINFIELD GOALS...
"The referee gave a free-kick against Stevie O'Donnell (for the first goal)...we were disappointed the decision went against us.
"Then they took a quick free-kick, played it down the line and actually Calvin McCurry did really well on Joel Cooper and a ricochet gets him away.
"Then we made a needless tackle so close to the touchline, I don't think Joel was really going anywhere and we dove in.
"If we'd stood up you maybe force a corner, force him to kick the ball out or run it out of play.
"Then we don't deal with the ball in, he's put a decent ball in and we've a guy on the front post who doesn't head the ball and we've been punished.
"When you look at the second goal (the penalty kick) it comes from a corner comes in, we head the ball back across goal rather than back to where it came from.
"Then ‘Rocksey’ (Donal Rocks) has a difficult decision to make...does he let Cooper get the shot away or does he try to block it.
“And he kinda tackled blind-side...they scored the resultant penalty to make it 2-0.
"I don't think the scoreline reflects the game, I don't think there was much between the two sides.
"In saying that...when you don't defend your front post and you make mistakes against Linfield they punish you.
"And that's why they're always going to be there or thereabouts."
ON NEW-LOOK BALLYMENA...
"It is a whole new Ballymena (six debuts) but I'm not going to use that as an excuse by any means.
"At the end of the day as footballers you know when you go on to the pitch you work as a team.
"I don't think you could look at our side today and go 'there's six new starters and they looked like they didn't know what they're doing'.
"It wasn't that type of game.
"I'm certainly not going to say the debutants to try and gel was the reason why we didn't get anything from the game.
"Ultimately individual errors cost us...you can't give Linfield those chances in the penalty box, you can't give Linfield chances anywhere across the pitch."