Dergview player-manager Ivan Sproule admits losing striker Emmett McGuckin was a big blow to the club, but the challenge of reinventing themselves is one he has relished.
The former Derry GAA player joined Coleraine from the Darragh Park outfit late on in the summer window, after showing incredible form in a short stint with the club.
“Emmett leaving so late on was obviously a massive blow, but it would be impossible to have stood in his way,” Sproule told Match On Tuesday.
“He came into the club in January from Magherafelt Sky Blues – he immediately became a cult hero here and his form was almost unplayable.
“He was a massive part of our incredible form at the end of the season and a lot of our tactics were built around his quality.
“But you never want to stop a player from developing himself at an upper level, and a gripe of mine is that too many clubs resist too strongly.
“We look after ourselves but we cannot down tools and we need to now find the next Emmett McGuckin and the players in the squad need to stand up.
“Ryan Mayse, Richard Clarke and Adam Lecky are guys who have come up through the club and developed into the best players at the top level, and we must keep unearthing them.”
Saturday’s 3-1 home victory over Ards was just Dergview’s second victory of the league campaign.
“We had to tell a few home truths to the players in training last week,” admitted Sproule.
“Our away form has been very disappointing, but we know that every point in this league is something we are going to have to fight tooth and nail for.
“They took the information on board and took it into the game are a decent side who are just outside the top flight but that was a morale-boosting outcome.
“in my playing career, i was never gifted with natural talent but you play to your strengths – you show desire and determination and work on what you are good at.
“The belief has to stay there and you cannot throw in the towel, because you will never be handed points in this league.”
The former Northern Ireland international is now a 38-year-old but can still make an impact on the pitch – he found the net in Saturday’s victory.
“I openly said at the start of the season that i would retire this season,” added the former Hibernian and Bristol City winger.
“I know I’m not the same player as i was before and the recovery time has become a lot longer – it is no longer just a day or two.
“I have to do what’s right for the club and I have full trust in the players i have, but if I can bring myself into the game to help us then i will do that.
“This is something that won’t last forever but if i can still have an impact then that will benefit us.”
Dergview are not blessed with the resources of other sides in the Championship, but Sproule believes they have enough about them to continue to be at home at that level.
“There is more money in the Irish Premiership than ever before, and that means more quality,” he explained.
“So what has happened is there is a knock-on effect with more players dropping down into the Championship who in former years would have been top flight quality.
“There is a league now which is better than it ever has been and what we did last year in winning nine of our last 11 games was nothing short of a miracle.
“That was arguably better form than Larne finished with and that was down to our siege mentality and togetherness – the one thing you do when you pull on a Dergview shirt is give absolutely everything.
“After our matches, all the players are exhausted in the dressing room and that shows me that they have given their all during the game.”
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