Millar 'sorry' fans paid to watch drivel

He cites the absence of five players as “not helping”, but says he would not offer that as any sort of excuse for what he insists is by far the team’s worst display in his two years in charge.

“My apologies go to everybody who paid in to watch that drivel. We were beaten 3-0 and were lucky to even get nil. It was absolutely awful and it was grossly embarrassing,” the Larne boss openly admitted.

“The fact that we had five players missing maybe was not helping our cause, but I would not try to use that as any sort of defence for the outcome and certainly not for the performance. Playing poorly can maybe be forgiven, but playing with a lack of effort is unforgivable,” Millar added.

“If it can be seen that players are giving their all then the supporters may be able to give the team a bye-ball, but it must have been infuriating to watch that sort of display on Saturday. in my two years here, that has to be our worst game by a long way.

“In fact, you could put out 11 schoolboys and do better. They may not be capable of beating an experienced, strong and competent team like Ballinamallard, but at least you would see that you were getting good, honest endeavour and that counts for something.

“What we got instead was something that looked like a team messing around in an end-of-season match when they were sitting mid-table with nothing to play for and a devil-may-care attitude - something that is definitely not acceptable in our third league game of the season when we desperately need some points on the board.”

Millar said: “We were without Alan Reid who was on holiday, Brian Neeson on holiday, Brian McClean at a wedding, Craig Todd and the injured Jamie Marsh and we didn’t even know the team that would line out as close as 15 minutes before kick-off. But that’s no excuse for the lack of effort on a day, when only two or three players came off the pitch with any credit.

“Now we have four of those five back (Marsh still missing) and that may enable us to produce a bit of spark and there will at least be competition for places; something that was absent last weekend. Any more performances like that and the supporters will be looking form somebody to ‘hang’. Maybe me.

“But this is a special game on Saturday: Carrick Rangers in the Steel and Sons Cup and these derby games are always great for the motivation of players.

“We will go in to the tie at Taylor’s Avenue as massive underdogs against a Carrick team that has had a terrific start to the season, while we’re playing poorly. But the incentive is there for us to redeem ourselves by causing an upset and I will be urging the players to stand up and be counted.

Play with pride in the jersey and give the supporters their money’s worth – surely they are duty-bound to do that?, suggested Millar.