Poor goals cost us admits Higgins

Coleraine head coach Ruaidhri Higgins claims the concession of poor goals cost his team on a frustrating night at the Oval on Tuesday.

The Bannsiders exited the Bet McLean Cup, beaten 2-1 in extra-time by Glentoran, and miss the chance of facing Linfield in next month's final.

The Glens went in front on the stroke of half-time through Pat Hoban before Joel Cooper levelled with a super strike in the second period.

With the game delicately poised the home side struck late through Jordan Jenkins to break Coleraine hearts.

"It's a really frustrating night," admitted Higgins afterwards.

"I felt we were really in the ascendency around the time we scored and I felt we could go on and win it in normal time, but we didn't do enough.

"There was very little in the game in fairness but they've got into our box outside of set pieces twice in the game.

"I know one of their goals comes from a set piece but one out of the two times they've got into our box in general they've scored from.

"From that point of view we had decent control of the game on a difficult night but it's just two poor goals," he added.

"Two soft goals from our point of view - they haven't needed to do anything to score their goals - while Joel has to produce a moment of magic to score his.

"In the first half Joel has a chance where he goes through and the keeper makes a good save, Charles has a chance, Ben Wylie smashes one across the face of goal which Shevy can maybe launch himself at.

"Over the course of the game there wasn't loads in it but I genuinely felt we possibly shaded it. They very rarely got into our box, the one time they got into the box they scored a goal from it so it's extremely disappointing."

The task now for Higgins and his players is to respond quickly with a difficult sixth round Irish Cup game at in-form Carrick Rangers this weekend.

"It's a tough one to take because on a difficult night the players have given absolutely everything," continued the Bannsiders boss.

"Our supporters came tonight and were brilliant in the conditions and got behind the team, applauded the team off at half-time.

"It wasn't a night for loads of quality but I think they seen what the players put into the game.

"But it's really important now that we recover well and get ready for the weekend.

"We've been down this road before: there is always going to be bumps in the road.

"Would we have liked to have got to a cup final, absolutely, but we have an opportunity now to get into the next round of the Irish Cup which is another fantastic competition.

"It's our third away game in a week which can be testing but we've enough experience in our group to go there and try and get a big result."