Coleraine manager Ruaidhrí Higgins reflected on his team’s “contribution” to their disappointing 5-0 loss against HJK in the first leg of the UEFA Conference League second qualifying round on Thursday.
The Bannsiders found themselves two goals down by halftime, with Liam Moller and Pyry Mentu scoring for HJK. Toivo Mero added a third early in the second half, followed by a quick brace from Teemu Pukki, sealing the rout.
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Higgins expressed his “disappointment” over the nature of the defeat and acknowledged the challenge ahead for the second leg at home. “The way we conceded the goals and their timing was incredibly disappointing,” he stated on Coleraine TV. “We played a part in many of their goals, and that’s on us, so we must accept that.”
The situation worsened as both Aidan Wilson and Mark Coyle had to be substituted due to what Higgins described as “serious injuries.”
Despite the setbacks, Higgins did not use injuries or fitness as an excuse, noting, “They are at peak fitness while we’re still working to get there.” He mentioned that players like [Joel] Cooper and [Will] Patching have had limited playtime during the pre-season and that Cameron Stewart had sustained an injury the previous week, with Wilson and Coyle also now looking at serious injuries.
“We were somewhat makeshift and disjointed, but we still need to perform better, as HJK didn’t have to exert themselves much to score,” he added. “We must learn from this experience quickly, take it on the chin, and move forward.”