Higgins 'big believer in Irish League summer football

Coleraine manager Ruaidhri Higgins said "a worry for me is if we do not move to summer football, then it is never going to improve" after his side's 8-0 aggregate defeat by HJK Helsinki ended their Uefa Conference League qualifying hopes.

HJK had a comfortable five-goal lead after the first leg and, at Inver Park, displayed more ruthlessness in front of goal to register a 3-0 win.

Coleraine are the third Irish Premiership team to bow out of the Conference League qualifiers after Linfield and Glentoran exited in the first round, with Larne the only Northern Irish side who still have a chance of securing a European group stage spot this season.

The Irish Premiership campaign currently takes place over the more traditional months of August to early May, but Higgins believes a switch to summer football would benefit the league.

"I've been a big believer in summer football," Higgins told BBC Sport NI after the game.

"I have to be honest, I think that to stop these kinds of results, to help our teams in Europe and we are potentially going to lose a European place, we have to change that.

"And how do you change it? You have to be more matched up and in better condition for this level of game going forward. There is a worry for me that if we don't move to summer football, then it's never ever going to improve. We need every advantage that we can get."

Clinical HJK end Coleraine's European hopes

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Higgins previously managed League of Ireland side Derry City, whose European aspirations also came to an end on Thursday night after they lost against Croatia's Rijeka.

However, Shelbourne and Bohemians advanced to the third qualifying round with Higgins adding that League of Ireland has strengthened since moving to the summer football model.

The League of Ireland is played primarily over the summer months with their season running from mid-February to early November.

"I think 25 years ago the League of Ireland and the Irish League were on a level playing field and there was nothing between the two leagues," he continued.

"Since the League of Ireland has gone to summer football it's got better and nobody can argue that point. It's overtaken this league and results in Europe have proven it. I don't think that things are going to change if we don't change.

"People don't like change but what is best for the league is for me, in my opinion, that we go to summer football for a load of different reasons, European results being one of them."

'Score was very, very harsh on us'

Coleraine made a bright start to the second leg in Larne and had multiple half chances before HJK further extended their lead through Toivo Mero, Alfie Cicale and Mouhamed Gueye.

The Bannsiders were also denied by the post in the closing stages as they pushed to give the home fans something to cheer about before the full-time whistle.

"HJK are just elite attacking players and boys that are seasoned playing in Europe," Higgins added.

"The score definitely doesn't reflect the course of the 180 minutes, absolutely not. They've [HJK] even said that themselves.

"The score was very, very harsh on us. It was a lot closer than what it might suggest."

It has been a challenging few weeks for Coleraine after club captain Mark Coyle ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament [ACL] and Aidan Wilson also picked up an injury in Helsinki.

Higgins added that the side are now going to be without stopper Ryan Schofield and will need to bring more personnel in before the Irish Premiership season starts.

"We're having a few issues body-wise.

"Ryan Schofield has to have an operation in the next 24 hours. He had a training ground collision yesterday and that's another injury in that area of the pitch.

"We're having problems in the defensive side of the pitch in terms of injuries and stuff like that, so it's something that we need to sort out and we will."

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