Friday night's Irish Cup exit was a "bittersweet" moment for Glentoran's Aaron Wightman.
The Glens starlet, who has suffered an injury-ravaged 11 months at The Oval, came off the bench after a disastrous first half against Bangor for only his seventh appearance.
The 21-year-old was delighted to be back involved with Declan Devine's squad again but admitted being dumped out of the cup was a sore one to take as they look to bounce back at home to Ballymena United this evening.
He said: “We’re all hurting after Friday. We know it wasn’t good enough. But in football, the most important thing is how you react.
"We’ve had an honest discussion as a squad and now it’s about putting things right on the pitch. The best teams show character when it matters most and that’s exactly what we intend to do on Tuesday night.”
“If you’d told us at the start of the season that we’d be sitting second in the league at the start of March, fighting for automatic European football and preparing for another cup final after already winning a trophy, we’d have taken it in a heartbeat. But being in this position means nothing if we don’t finish the job. Now, it’s about making sure we see it through.”
Wightman made his start for Devine back in November before suffering more injury agony in the win over Crusaders the following month.
Wightman credits those around him for keeping his spirits high through the toughest moments of his career to date.
"The past 11 months have been incredibly tough," he said. “This is the first time in my career that I’ve had to deal with not just one, but two long-term injuries in quick succession and it’s been a real test, both physically and mentally.
“When you’re injured, you spend endless hours in the gym, away from the squad, watching from the sidelines, desperate to be back out there playing. But I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have a brilliant support system around me at the club.
"At times, it felt like one setback after another, but I’ve given everything to get back to fit again and now my only focus is on what’s ahead.
“Friday night was bittersweet. On a personal level, stepping back onto the pitch was a huge moment for me as it’s what I’ve worked so hard for. But as a team, we know the result wasn’t good enough, and that’s what matters most.
“We’ve got a huge few weeks ahead and I want to be a part of it. I want to contribute in any way I can, whether that’s from the start or coming off the bench. The most important thing is that we finish the season as strongly as possible and I’m determined to play my part in making that happen.”
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