The biggest mistake of all was we left 35 minutes of the first-half, fumes Glentoran interim chief Declan Devine after defeat at Coleraine

Glentoran interim chief Declan Devine pictured during Saturday's defeat at the Coleraine Showgroundsplaceholder image
Glentoran interim chief Declan Devine pictured during Saturday's defeat at the Coleraine Showgrounds

Glentoran interim manager Declan Devine insists he was disappointed that his side took their foot off the pedal for more than a third of the match in Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Coleraine.

In a first-half that failed to lack any creativity or spark on a windy day on the north coast, the visitors would find themselves 1-0 down with 55 minutes on the clock as Fuad Sule's pass put Glentoran in danger, allowing Matthew Shevlin to open the scoring.

It would be a similar theme 15 minutes later as Luke McCullough was this time the man to blame as his poor back pass sent Shevlin through on goal and the striker notched his 11th senior goal against the Glens.

The east Belfast side gave themselves a lifeline as Paddy McClean coolly dispatched from close-range on 77 minutes.

Glentoran interim chief Declan Devine pictured during Saturday's defeat at the Coleraine Showgroundsplaceholder image
Glentoran interim chief Declan Devine pictured during Saturday's defeat at the Coleraine Showgrounds

However, they will feel they should have left The Showgrounds with a share of the spoils as the death as McClean's shot inadvertently went towards substitute Jay Donnelly who headed over with the goal at his mercy.

Rather than voicing his frustration at his side’s individual errors, Devine remarked at how his side failed to play for 35 minutes in the first-half after making a bright start to proceedings.

"Mistakes happen in games and I've no problem with individual errors,” he said.

"The biggest mistake of all was we left 35 minutes of the first-half.

"We started well for ten minutes, played well and then came off the game for 35 minutes.

"With the wind behind us and attacking into our own supporters, we should have had more about us but we didn't ask enough questions of the opposition.

"When we had everybody in at half-time, we changed a few things and started the second-half really well.

"But I will never knock a player making a mistake because the two players who made a mistake are probably two of the players we can really rely on.

"All in all, it was a really, really disappointing result. There were moments in the game I felt we did quite well but not well enough.

"Bobby Burns had a great chance with a header and we had a couple of other opportunities but we didn't make their goalkeeper work enough."

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