Coleraine manager Ruaidhrí Higgins has taken responsibility for his team's heavy 5-0 defeat at the hands of HJK in the first leg of their Uefa Conference League second qualifying round tie on Thursday.
The Bannsiders conceded two goals before the break, courtesy of Liam Moller and Pyry Mentu, with Toivo Mero adding a third in the second half. Teemu Pukki sealed the rout with a quickfire brace.
Higgins expressed his disappointment at the manner of the defeat, stating that his team contributed to the majority of HJK's goals. This self-criticism comes as the team now face a significant challenge in the second leg at home.
Aidan Wilson and Mark Coyle were forced off the pitch with what Higgins described as 'serious injuries', further complicating the situation. However, Higgins maintained that injuries would not be used as an excuse for the team's performance.
'We contributed to a lot of their goals and that's on us, so we have to accept it,' Higgins told Coleraine TV. He acknowledged that his team was 'a bit makeshift, a bit disjointed' due to a lack of pre-season football and injuries, but insisted that they still had to do better.