McAree glad to break duck in tight tussle with Crues
RODNEY McAree said he knew he’d get a performance from his team after savouring his first win as Coleraine manager on Saturday.
Gareth McConaghie’s free-kick proved enough to get the better of Crusaders and lift some pressure off the Bannsiders, who have struggled for form since former boss Oran Kearney departed for St Mirren.
“It’s great to get the first win under the belt because everyone has been talking about it, and it’s the only thing people have wanted to talk about,” he said.
“I don’t look for excuses, but people don’t want to give you an excuse of players being injured or suspended and being down to the bare bones.
“But when I looked at the results so far, we drew here with Linfield, we could have beat them; we drew at home against Ballymena with 10 men after only 14 minutes, that wasn’t a bad result; we had a poor result away at Newry, we should be doing better there, and we shouldn’t be getting beat at home the way we did to Glenavon.
“Today’s result has taken a bit of pressure off the players.
“I thought we were decent last week (against Connah’s Quay Nomads). The conditions were very difficult and we were down in numbers.
“I’ve seen a major improvement in training in terms of the players’ application and I knew we were going to get a performance today, you just worry if it was going to be enough.
“It was fantastic to see ‘Big G’ pop up with the winner and to see it hit the back of the net.
“When you look at the back four, they defended marvellously and the two centre halves were exceptional.
“And Chris Johns makes a save with three minutes to go which was absolutely top drawer.
“I’m sure he’ll turn round and say that’s his job and that’s what he’s there for, but he did it ever so well.”
It marks the fifth loss of the season for Crusaders and boss Stephen Baxter believes the game came down to ‘fine margins’ on the Ballycastle Road. COLERAINE: Johns, Mullan, Harkin, McCauley, Lowry, McLaughlin (McGonigle, 31 mins), Carson, McConaghie, Burns (Gawne, 49 mins), O’Donnell, Canning. Unused subs: Doherty (GK), Douglas, Crown, Whiteside, Owens.
CRUSADERS: O’Neill, McChrystal (Brown, 78 mins), Beverland, Ward, Glackin, Forys-
The reigning champions were without the services of Colin Coates, BJ Burns and Jordan Owens the, K Owens, Snoddy, Heatley (Cushley, 61 mins), Clarke (Lowry, 71 mins), Patterson. Unused subs: Doherty (GK), Caddell, Ruddy, Holden.
Referee: Andrew Davey (Bangor)
Man of the match: Gareth McConaghie Match rating: 6/10
through injury, but Baxter insists he won’t be using that as an excuse for the defeat.
“There was very little in the game,” he added.
“We were the better team in the first 30 minutes of the first-half and they got the better of things 15 minutes before half-time.
“It was a scrappy affair in the second-half and the manner of the goal is