COLIN MILLAR PSNI CHIEF BELIEVES THEY’RE NOT FAR OFF BEING A FORCE

By Malone happy with early impression of Newforge club and praises groundwork done by Kirk

PSNI boss Colin Malone is encouraged by an upturn in performances despite suffering late heartbreak in successive weeks.

The South Belfast side lost with the last kick of the game against H&W Welders on Saturday, a week on from their last gasp defeat with nine men against Institute.

“Despite losing our past two league games, the performances have been of a high standard and the players have done well,” Malone explained to Match on Tuesday.

“Saturday was unfortunate again because we were on top for large periods of the game and couldn’t put our chances away, but there is reason to be encouraged.

“There are lots of new players in at the club and it’s natural they take a little bit of time to gel together and find their best performances as a team.

“We’re in a little bit of a transition period by changing things about the club and refreshing the squad a little bit but signs are encouraging.

“I thought we’ve been very watchable with a high level of performance for about an hour but the Welders are a dogged team and hung in for three points.” Having trailed 1-0 going into the dying stages, the visitors thought they’d rescued a point late on in stoppage time but Malone explained how his side were condemned to defeat in the cruellest manner for him.

“To make matters even worse for us, it was my nephew Jordan who scored the winner,” he lamented.

“We were at his 21st birthday party last week and I’d made sure to tell him he wouldn’t even get a kick against us… so of course he decided to get the boot into me with that strike!

“But everything was good natured and he took his goal very well.” It’s been a busy month of recruitment for the club with former Carrick duo Chris Trussell and Dale Malone joining, along with defender Philip Simpson, once of Glentoran, along with Jake Mcneill,

Tyler Waide and others.

“My assessment early on was that we were too short in terms of numbers,” Malone stated.

“I believed we