Harbinson calls for clinical finishing after Welders loss

The Dixon Park side started brightly in the Lough 41 NIFL Championship tie, but fell behind on 28 minutes through a Gary Lavery strike.

Then, on the hour, Jonny Frazer made it 2-0 with a placed finish from just inside the area after Scott McMillan had crossed from the right.

Ballyclare pulled a goal back on 70 minutes thanks to a Jason Johnston header at the back post, but the Welders held on to ensure all three points remained in east Belfast.

Speaking to the Comrades’ media officer Zoe Tisdale following the clash, manager Paul Harbinson said: “It’s one of those nights where it’s rare that I think we’ve been the dominant force and I will give credit to the Welders, because they managed the game better than we did. They took their chances and they played in a way to make it very difficult for us.

“They played the conditions and they played in a certain way that we didn’t manage. They managed it better than we did. I’m lost for words. How on earth we didn’t score - we’d six corners in the first half, three of which flashed across the front of their goal.

“The combination play we’d been working on down the left and right, I was really frustrated with our final ball and I told them that at half time. But, the number of opportunities and entries into their final third and into their box were frightening. How we didn’t score more goals, I’m lost.

“I was pleased that we did certain things well, things that we’d been working on, bust just so disappointed that we didn’t hit the back of the net. I don’t want players to be nasty, or difficult, or dirty, but we don’t have a cutting edge and it worries me that we’re really nice. We play some fantastic football, we move the ball about really well, but I keep saying to them ‘who is going to be the one who gets nasty with the ball and hits the back of the net?’

“I don’t want them to be nasty players, but I want them to be clinical.”

Next up for Ballyclare is a trip to high-flying Loughgall this Saturday (3pm).

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