Positives to take from United defeat at Oval, insists Doherty

Ballymena United assistant manager Lee Doherty insisted there were positives to emerge from Ballymena United's 2-0 weekend Danske Bank defeat at Glentoran.
Ballymena United assistant manager Lee Doherty felt the decision to award a penalty against Jim Ervin following a challenge on Glentoran Jonathon Smith was a key moment in his side's 2-0 defeat at the Oval/ Picture: Press Eye.Ballymena United assistant manager Lee Doherty felt the decision to award a penalty against Jim Ervin following a challenge on Glentoran Jonathon Smith was a key moment in his side's 2-0 defeat at the Oval/ Picture: Press Eye.
Ballymena United assistant manager Lee Doherty felt the decision to award a penalty against Jim Ervin following a challenge on Glentoran Jonathon Smith was a key moment in his side's 2-0 defeat at the Oval/ Picture: Press Eye.

Doherty spoke to the written media in the absence of manager Glenn Ferguson, who had been sent off by referee Raymond Hetherington at half-time in the match at the Oval.

“The result was frustrating but our performance compared with the one against Coleraine was like night and day.

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“We missed a lot of chances but at least we created the chances whereas against Coleraine we couldn’t create chances against a team of nine.”

Doherty insisted the controversial ninth minute penalty awarded against Jim Ervin was a crucial moment in the match.

“I know we lambast referees week in, week out. They don’t intentionally make mistakes but that was a howler.

“For Jim to get on the way he did when it happened, you knew he obviously had got the ball. I thought he had got the ball and everyone I spoke to thought he got the ball.

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“Raymond didn’t give the penalty, it was the linesman and from his angle, I don’t know how he can give it but the ball was definitely toed back when Jim made his tackle.

“But we’ve got to look beyond that and beyond making excuses about the referee’s decision.

“I thought we played really well in the second half. I can accept defeat as long as we give our best. I can’t accept when we don’t play well or when it looks as though we haven’t tried.

“If we had taken our chances, we would have won the game.

“Darren Henderson had a chance in the first half, wee Jonny Frazer had three or four chances and there were some lovely cut-backs to create opportunities but again we didn’t take them.

“When it’s not going for you it’s not going but you just have to keep working,” added Doherty.

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