Oran Kearney hopes week break can help his Coleraine squad find their spark and energy

The Bannsiders lost for the first time in 14 Danske Bank Premiership fixtures last weekend as they were beaten 2-0 by Crusaders at Seaview.

Kearney's men failed to register a shot on target against the Crues and dropped down to fifth in the Premiership standings.

The two clubs will meet in the BetMcLean Cup final next month but Kearney's short-term aim is to keep tabs on the teams above them in the table, starting with today's visit to Windsor Park.

"We dust ourselves down, get back into training and go to Linfield this afternoon and aim to get a result, it's as simple as that," he said.

"The big aim as it always is we want to hit game 33 with something to play for in those last five games so that those games are massively important.

"It's the job every season and it's no different after our loss to Crusaders.

"We've beaten Crusaders one and they've beaten us twice now so we're -3 to Crusaders, that's all it is at this point in time.

"So we have to try and get a result this week and when we come back here in the split we try and even it up so that we've broken even with Crusaders points wise this season.

"People talk about the run and everything else, but it's not about that we've been in good form, our performance levels have been really good, and have been for quite a while, but last weekend's performance was nowhere close.

"We've been on unbeaten runs before but they were littered with draws and they do you no good.

"I can't question or query what I've been given by the players in the last four months, it's just up to us to get back up on it."

The Bannsiders are currently in the midst of an injury crisis as Rodney Brown, Conor McKendry, Stephen Lowry, Kieran Farren, Martin Gallagher and Andy Mitchell are all sidelined.

However, Kearney hopes the week break between games will help aid tiring bodies.

"Jack only trained on Thursday night and he was straight out onto the pitch against Crusaders," he added.

"Again it is a bit quick but it's needs must at this minute.

"Conor McKendry is back out on the pitch again, but we've a few more who are just not on the periphery at this moment in time.

"This week it's just Saturday to Saturday, which we can cope with and have done throughout the season.

"It's different when you hit a three-game week and that's what cost us last Saturday.

"You always fear a performance like we had against Crusaders, particularly when you're down to the level of players we have sitting on the sidelines at the minute.

"We knew we had players going into their third 90 minutes of the week, and their fifth or sixth in three weeks.

"You fear it from that point of view because there's going to come a point when people are going to hit a brick wall.

"There were a few players that didn't show the spark and energy they've had in recent weeks."