Instititute boss Kevin Deery concedes defeat in Championship title race

Annagh remain the only team in the league 'Stute failed to beat this season and their second home loss to the Co. Armagh men proved costly as Deery's troops fell five points behind the league leaders Portadown.

Mathematically it's not impossible for 'Stute to be crowned league champions in two weeks' time but they must defeat Bangor in their final home match next Saturday before going to Portadown in a potential title-decider. They need the in-form Ports to drop points next week when they host Dundela at Shamrock Park and victory on the final day could see the title decided on goal difference.

There's no shortage of permutations with four of the top six still in with a chance of finishing in top spot while Annagh, in fifth spot, will still believe they can achieve a promotion play-off spot if results go their way.

It's an exciting run-in but 'Stute have sustained injuries to key players at the worst possible time in the season and after Saturday's hugely disappointing display against Annagh, Deery declared 'the title is gone!'.

"The title is gone," said the 'Stute manager. "I'd imagine Portadown will beat Dundela. You would think they would get a large crowd and momentum is with Portadown. It looks like Portadown will become league champions in my eyes.

"We have to lick our wounds and try and win back-to-back games but it will be really hard after that performance, there's no getting away from that.

"Hopefully we get a few bodies back and try and beat Bangor. That's all we've done this year is focus on the next game."

While Deery may be publicly waving the white flag, the message in the dressing room will no doubt be to dig deep to produce two more victories which could clinch at least a promotion relegation play-off.

"Promotion is still there but after that performance it's the furthest thing from your mind to be honest. It's 36 games today and to put in a shocker like that and be so close to achieving something special, it's hurtful.

"You have to bounce back and, to be fair to the players, throughout the season, when we've lost a game we've managed to bounce back. I have a lot of questions and no answers. There's a lot of personnel there that could potentially come out of the team to let boys in because it was nowhere near good enough . . . standards performances, drive, determination and togetherness - all the things we pride ourselves on.

“The principles weren't there today. It was patched up and people just playing for themselves and not together. It's a hurtful one but you have to own it. It's football."

'Stute have punched considerably above their weight this season and to be in contention at this stage of the season is a remarkable achievement in itself. However, Deery believes the club's home form has been their Achilles heel.

"That's our sixth defeat at home and we've only lost three away from home all season. Our home form was our Achilles heel. “We've won a good few games and tight games here but we've lost six games at home and that's what's cost us being really serious title challengers.

"We've been in and around it until today but we can't afford to lose six games at home. That's ultimately what's going to cost us."

On Saturday it was some poor defending which cost ‘Stute as Stephen Murray scored from close range on 51 minutes before James Convie beat the offside trap and fired low into the corner on the hour mark.

It was two avoidable goals and Deery didn’t mince his words afterwards.

"It was one we couldn't get away with today, that type of performance and our ability to defend basic long clearances, we just didn't do and it cost us.

"It was pretty dismal defending to be honest. A lot didn't go well for us. Annagh were in a good run and found a way to win. They were well set up, aggressive, a good bit of experience.

“We had a very young team and a lot of patched-up players and a lot of big players out injured. We just couldn't pull off that wee mini miracle today and get the three points with what we could field.

“What do you do? You just have to regroup again and try and finish as high up the table as we can with two games to go.

"It was baffling the goals we gave away. It's so unlike us all season. I'm hurting bad about it and it honestly won't be accepted that type of defending and mentality.

"It was a windy day and our mentality wasn't right in the second half. There wasn’t enough graft.

“Ultimately we were nowhere near good enough to get a result.

“It's no disrespect to the boys out on the pitch but we need to see more from them.”

Institute: Muldoon; Quigley, King, Boyle, Carlin ( Banda 71); McKinney (Dunne 65), McGinty (McClure 71), Mullan, Burke, Harris; Subs Not Used - Doherty, Porter, McLaughlin, Deane.

Annagh: Craughwell; Kerr, Calvert, Finnegan, Henderson (Holmes 91), Upton, Young (McCullough 65), Teggart, McDonald (Stewart 65); Murray (Ferris 81), Convie (Rogers 91); Subs Not Used - Little, Cochrane.

Referee - Stewart Long.