'We have failed yet again at home', blasts Ballymena United chief Jim Ervin as Sky Blues fail to lay a glove on Glenavon at a foggy Showgrounds

The Sky Blues were comprehensively beaten by Stephen McDonnell's side - despite the slender scoreline - as Conor McCloskey's deflected header settled affairs at a foggy Ballymena Showgrounds.

Ervin was left perplexed as to how his side can perform against the top sides in the league but fail to deliver against teams in and around them in the table.

"I said to the guys beforehand and numerous times now, every time we have a really good performance at a top level it has been against the teams in the top half of the table," he said.

"We have then followed that up by a really poor, damp and flat performance near enough at home every time against teams in and around us.

"It's just poor all round.

"Our season is not defined on good performances against the top six.

"Our season is defined by results against teams in and around us.

"We have failed yet again at home."

Ballymena only registered one notable attempt on target and that lack of creativity and spark added to Ervin’s frustration, however, he refused to blame Tuesday night’s exertions in the BetMcLean Cup as an excuse.

"I can take losing the game if the team has come and outplayed, outfought and outworked you, or basically played you off the park,” he added.

"You can accept that in football but I don't think that happened today.

"We didn't force Rory Brown to make a save bar one from Donal Rocks in the second-half.

"But over 90 minutes we haven't made him work and that's what frustrates me and disappoints me the most.

"On Tuesday night against Coleraine we had numerous chances and could have won the game.

"However, we could have played until 9pm today and still not scored.

"I spoke to the boys before and after the game that I'm not using Tuesday night as an excuse.

"We gave them information as to how Glenavon are going to play and what they're going to do, but if you look on the pitch today, we weren't outrun, it was just decision making and that comes down to attitude and application.”