Coleraine manager Ruaidhrí Higgins admitted his team "contributed" to their own downfall in a 5-0 away defeat to HJK in the first leg of their Uefa Conference League second qualifying round tie. Goals from Liam Moller, Pyry Mentu, and a brace from Teemu Pukki sealed the rout for the Finnish side.

Higgins expressed disappointment with the "manner of the goals" conceded and acknowledged the team's role in their own demise. A difficult evening was compounded by "serious injuries" to defenders Aidan Wilson and Mark Coyle. Despite HJK being mid-season and Coleraine seeking fitness, Higgins refused to use it as an excuse.

"They are in their prime of fitness and we're just searching for fitness," Higgins stated, noting players like Joel Cooper and Will Patching had limited pre-season game time. "Lads like [Joel] Cooper and [Will] Patching have had very little football in pre-season. Cameron Stewart picked up an injury last week, then two defensive-minded players like Aidan Wilson and Mark Coyle pick up what looks like serious injuries." He added, "We were a bit makeshift, a bit disjointed, but we still have to do better as they didn't have to do much to score their goals."

Coleraine faces a significant challenge in the second leg at home. Higgins stressed the need to "learn from that and learn fast, take it on the chin and try to move on as fast as we can."