HARBINSON A SYSTEM ADDICT..

Tactical switch in shape has turned Ballyclare into much more potent force

side long-time assistant Gareth Moody, The duo enjoyed success at youth level with Ballymena United.

“We were tinkering a lot with our selections over the first number of weeks, we have to take responsibility as a coaching team for that,” admitted Harbinson.

“We did not know what style of play to stick to and even in terms of the personnel and the systems, there was a lot of chopping and changing – we couldn’t find that consistency. We have now found a formula that is working more weeks than not – it is a style of play that suits us and one whereby we are robust defensively.

“That gives us a platform to play our own football – we have four or five players on the pitch at any one time who carry a big goal threat.”

Ballyclare have now hit 29 league goals this season – a rate of more than two per game – and more than any other side outside the top two in the Championship.

“We have tried to create a culture at the club where everyone relies on each other,” Harbinson added.

“Our style of attacking play is based upon runners and movement outside of our main frontman, to have

versatility and different options in our attack.

“We have been trying to change it a little in the past few weeks with more runners and fluidity in our positioning, to open up opposition defences.

“I was a central defender and I know how tough that is to mark from that point of view, so it means we have a big threat.

“Thomas Robinson, Francis Nolan, Ciaran Dobbin, Gary Donnelly and Joe Tully are all players on the pitch at once who love to go forward and threaten.”

GOAL THREAT Gary Donnelly has posed an attacking danger for Paul Harbinson’s (circled) team