Warrenpoint Town boss Stephen McDonnell puts trust in his process

Last-gasp goals at the end of each half - plus a late penalty miss - left Warrenpoint reeling last weekend in a 2-1 defeat to defending champions Crusaders.

McDonnell, however, remains confident that the private process will ultimately lead to public points.

“We are knitting 12 lads into a new panel, so that’s going to take time,” said McDonnell. “It is not about judging anything after four games.

“Over the first few games it’s makeshift due to injuries and players in different positions.

“But, for example, putting Simon Kelly in midfield helps bed in Robbie Norton then Simon can drop back.

“You get guys back from injury and all of a sudden it changes the way you play.

“We host Ballymena and will be going to win the game, with respect for the opposition, trusting in our process and having belief in the quality we see and how what we are working on is starting to come out.”

United boss David Jeffrey is also in a transition period of summer signings adapting to squad life in Ballymena blue.

“We are very pleased with how our summer signings are performing, there is a great attitude and commitment,” said Jeffrey following a 4-0 loss to Glenavon in which Andrew Burns’ red card proved decisive to the end of the side’s unbeaten start. “They are a talented bunch and some of the football in the first half was outstanding.

“Up until then we were playing fabulously well and if we’d finished with 11 on the pitch certainly we were not getting beaten.

“We were not coming just to sit back and tough it out, we wanted to be positive.

“I said to the players for us to at least have a go.

“If our final pass had been better at times then, even with 10 men, we could have scored.

“That’s where we are at, we did not want to sit back and slow the game down or be negative with those tactics, I’m desperately proud.”