Hi °C | Lo °C Stephen Baxter is demanding that his Crusaders side are switched on from the first whistle when they face Glentoran tomorrow afternoon.
The Seaview boss saw his team go behind after just three minutes against Glenavon on Tuesday night and, although they eventually ran out 2-1 winners, Baxter is fed up conceding early goals.
Last month, Lisburn Distillery struck after just 12 seconds and before a Crusaders player had touched the ball.
They also conceded twice in the opening 10 minutes in a league match at Institute and away to Portadown in the CIS Insurance Cup quarter-finals, before pulling that one around to win 4-3.
The Crues made the final of that competition, which was postponed last Saturday, but Baxter insists that Tuesday night's early goal wasn't caused by a hangover from that game or the fact that he was forced to field a makeshift defence.
"We've started games poorly all season," he admitted.
"I've said that maybe we should just give the opposition a goal start and be done with it.
"We've done it so many times. I don't know weather it is nerves or that we have trouble settling into games or what.
"It wasn't a hangover from Saturday or anything like that, it's just stupidity.
"Against Portadown we were 2-0 down after 10 minutes, at Institute we were 2-0 down after 10 minutes and we need to stop this.
"There wasn't any lack of application, it's just a couple of pieces of stupidity."
That makeshift defence against the Lurgan Blues included Darren Lockhart in an unfamiliar central defensive role.
In the past he has been pressed forward from his normal midfield berth to occupy a position just off the strikers, but playing at the back is completely new.
It looks like he will be back in the engine room at the Oval tomorrow though and back wearing his favourite number eight shirt.
"We were down to the bones on Tuesday night with Colin Coates and Gary Smyth both suspended," said Baxter.
"That doesn't stop us having belief in what we can do and the football we played against Glenavon was beautiful to watch.
"Darren Lockhart is just a different class, a great footballer and he has shown he has the ability to play centre-half, centre-forward or in central midfield.
"Colin Coates has the opportunity to come back in, he is the only one as we are without Gary Smyth again.
"Under the terms of his loan agreement he can't play against Glentoran.
" I am waiting for an answer back from Alan McDonald with regards to keeping Gary at the club and I hope it will be favourable. I think Gary wants to stay and it would be lovely to have him."
