Dean Shiels calls for big response after Swifts let points slip
Danske Bank Premiership
Dean Shiels was angry at his side for failing to finish off United. Credit: INPHO/Presseye/Philip Magowan
©INPHO/Presseye/Philip Magowan
Dungannon Swifts boss Dean Shiels has demanded a reaction from his players after their capitulation at Ballymena.
The Swifts were 2-0 and 3-1 up on Tuesday night, but crumbled in the second half, losing 4-3.
Shiels admitted he was “really angry” at how they let the game slip away.
And he has demanded a big response when they take on Larne at Stangmore Park this afternoon, in what he predicts will be another battle.
“Every game is hard for us, every game is really tough,” he said.
“We have to be at our best to stand up to what they are going to throw at us.
“It is a chance to bounce back – it is four days on from Tuesday and we expect a reaction. There has to be a reaction.”
Dungannon’s side is young and, while some of their attacking football has been exciting, they are prone to defensive lapses – and both were evident at the Showgrounds on Tuesday night,
However, Shiels believes opting for more experience is not necessarily the answer.
“Age has got nothing to do with it – it is just character,” he said.
“You can have character at 18, you can have character at 34 – that is what it is about and I didn’t see enough of it on Tuesday night.”
He added: “It is not good enough.
“Look, we all make mistakes – I make mistakes, all the players make mistakes.
“It is how you react to that – do you shrink or do you stand up and say ‘I’ll go again’, and we didn’t get the second option on Tuesday, unfortunately.”
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