WHAT THE MANAGER SAID: 'If we had a wee bit more brutality' - Glenavon's Paddy McLaughlin laments missing ingredient behind home loss
Glenavon boss Paddy McLaughlin watched his side suffer a 1-0 home loss as Larne’s Tiarnan O’Connor settled the Mourneview Park meeting.
Here’s the verdict of McLaughlin:
OVERALL PERFORMANCE...
"I think we matched Larne right across the park, there wasn't much in the game over 90 minutes.
"Both sides huffed and puffed.
"Then a mistake that led to the goal...we're disappointed we didn't score from the chances we created but disappointed we gave away such a soft goal.
"That's probably two or three games in a row where we've made mistakes that led to goals and not too many teams make those kinds of mistakes against us.
"People can make errors all over the park but errors in our final third that lead to goals against we've got to take out of our game.
"It's a softness we don't want."
GLENAVON CHANCES...
"The two goalmouth scrambles - one in each half - if we had a wee bit more brutality, for want of a better word, to force it over the line we could've got our noses in front.
"But it wasn't to be.”
DEFENSIVE DISPLAY...
"Our centre-halves were excellent throughout the game...it just came down to a split-second lack of concentration and indecision.
"We've had one or two of those so it's important we learn.
"If we don't learn it's a problem, if we do then it's a harsh lesson but at least it's a valuable one.
"If can keep that out of our game and then be a wee bit more clinical...today was a classic example.
"Larne probably had one chance and scored, we had two or three and didn't score.”
PROGRESS...
"What I was trying to say to the players is we've gone to the Oval and been excellent for large parts of the game, we went to Windsor Park against the runaway league champions and excellent for almost an hour and we've matched Larne stride for stride...but only come away with a point from three games with such good performances.
"We've got to add that to our game...you've got to show something for your efforts.
"There's no point having a moral victory, they're worthless.
"You've got to get results...we've got the players who can play well and compete against these top sides and full-time sides.
"One point from nine wouldn't be acceptable next season...it's good that we're building and developing but we've got to develop that ruthlessness."
POST-SPLIT...
"We've five big games...we'd young lads on the bench I'd love to have put on but today was on a knife-edge.
"The conditions and how the game was panning out, with a lot of it up in the air at times, it wouldn't have been the right time.
"But it would be nice to start blooding guys over the next five games.
"And that's not to say the season's over, we've a lot to play for...remember we're still looking over our shoulder and you want to finish as high as you can.
"The development of our young players is important too going into next season.
"We're very thin in the squad so with some experience between now and the end of the season we'll know who is capable of coming with us next, or the under 20s or maybe even out on loan.
"It's important we blood these young guys through, have a few additions lined up to come in the summer and the rebuild continues.
"It's a big summer for us...there's so much money coming into other clubs you don't want the gap to get too big."