Jim Ervin Expresses Disappointment Over Ballymena’s “Really Poor” Performance in Carrick Rangers Defeat

Currently positioned seventh in the league table, Ballymena United’s manager, Jim Ervin, stated that their 2-1 loss to Carrick Rangers has left him with “more questions than answers” regarding his team’s performance. Carrick Rangers secured their win through goals scored by Danny Gibson and Nedas Maciulaitis. Daithi McCallion had briefly equalized for Ballymena, known as the Sky Blues. Ervin conveyed his frustration with his team’s showing, particularly noting that Carrick Rangers completed the final 15 minutes of the match with a numerical disadvantage after Ross Glendinning received a red card. Speaking to BBC Sport NI, Ervin remarked, “Our decision-making today was awful, the passing, crossing and finishing was poor we didn’t make the goalkeeper make a save.” He further elaborated on his disappointment, stating, “It was really poor, we only started to play when we went a goal down and it’s frustrating.” He also mentioned the team’s approach: “We said to the boys about getting the ball down to play but all we did was force things.” Ervin expressed regret that Ballymena failed to capitalize on a chance to improve their league position, attributing this to their ongoing inconsistent performance throughout the current season. He added, “We’re not good enough to carry players and when you are carrying players and they’re not on their game you will get punished.” Concluding his remarks, he stated, “We give away a good opportunity to move up the table again and we’re back asking questions.”