The thoughts of Mac – Banbridge Town 3 Lisburn Distillery 1

Déjà vu at Banbridge on Saturday – like our game at Crystal Park in August, we were second-best for most of the opening period and fortunate to come in only one down but we came into the game after the break only to give an awful second goal away (again). Then like last time we got a goal back, and were the team on top, albeit for a short period, with nine men before conceding a third at the death.

There were two red cards which lead to us being reduced to nine men and those who were at the game on Saturday will have their own thoughts on those and other related decisions.

But for Mac it was a tough day on the side-line and afterwards he said; “I would say for the first thirty-five minutes of the first-half, we were outbattled and that was a worrying thing for me. They were dominating us all over the park, particularly in the tackle and we have to learn that we need to earn the right to play football and if that means coming to places like this and winning individual and collective battles then we have to do that.

Matthew (Ferguson) had two chances before the break and at half-time we asked the boys for a response to get us back to 1-1.We came out with more confidence and turned it a little but the second goal was a killer because we had safe possession in our own half, it was lost and then launched over the keeper from thirty yards out. But we showed character again to get back into it.

It was though a disaster from start to finish; we now have to lick our wounds and get on with it. It took us to go down to ten men and then nine to start biting. I am not going to make excuses but we had a lot of players missing who could have made an impact today but we have to get on with and make sure we keep looking towards the light at the end of tunnel because, taking the Cliftonville games out of it the only games we have lost have been down here and I will be seriously thinking about how we beat them at our place.”

Interview and photograph copyright David Hunter and must not be used copied or reproduced in whole or part without permission.