Coleraine manager Ruaidhri Higgins says “the honeymoon period is over” after his side’s 2-1 loss against Larne at the Coleraine Showgrounds.

Leroy Millar and Sean Graham scored late in the first half to give the away side the lead with Conor McKendry coming close to netting Larne’s third before the half-time whistle.

Despite Matthew Shevlin’s late goal, Coleraine couldn’t create a dramatic late comeback with Higgins labelling the performance from his side as “unacceptable”

This result means that, for the first time this season, Ruaidhri Higgins’ side suffered back-to-back defeats after losing against Cliftonville on Saturday.

“That is what I said in there, the honeymoon period is over,” Higgins told BBC Sport NI.

“We have to step up, all of us, and we will see in the coming days what we are made of really and it is important that we respond in the right manner to a bad four days.

“I demand that we respond in the right manner, get back on the horse and start winning football matches.”

After Higgins was appointed late last season, Coleraine made a bright start to this campaign and were top of the table coming into the match against the Inver Reds.

However, now it is Gary Haveron’s side are top of the table, two points clear of the Bannsiders with a game in hand.

“You can take getting beaten, but the manner of the defeat was unacceptable really,” Higgins added.

“There is collective responsibility there. We are all responsible, I think.

“I think they did a number on us. They came, sat in and countered on us.

“We were weak in certain parts of the game which is extremely disappointing, and it is an unacceptable performance really.”