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The Glens suffered an agonising 2-1 defeat by Linfield in the Big Two encounter on Boxing Day. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\nEetu Vertainen’s 90th-minute winner meant McDermott’s side have lost seven of their last nine games.<\/span><\/p>\n“When you are 12 points behind in February,” McDermott said when asked when their form would concern him. <\/span><\/p>\nLosing what was the first meeting between the Blues and the Glens on Boxing Day since 2019, a fourth consecutive defeat for the Glens left the east Belfast side 10 points behind leaders Larne with two games in hand.<\/span><\/p>\n“We just have to win a game,” he continued.<\/span><\/p>\n“There were two cup games in amongst that run [of seven defeats in nine matches]. <\/span><\/p>\n“It’s mad to think that we have still conceded the least amount of goals in the league and are still in the mix even when you consider we have won four points from seven league games.” <\/span><\/p>\nMcDermott praised his side’s second-half performance against Linfield and felt they did not deserve to lose a match in which they fell behind to a Chris Shields penalty late in the first half before equalising through a beautiful Jay Donnelly header soon after the break.<\/span><\/p>\nVertainen’s late strike led to some Glentoran supporters voicing their frustrations at the final whistle, but McDermott said criticism from fans will not affect him.<\/span><\/p>\n“When I stand there towards the end there were four or five voices that I hear crystal clear,” he said.<\/span><\/p>\n“It doesn’t stop, you stand there and you hear it but what are you going to do? It doesn’t change what you do tomorrow and it doesn’t change what you do today. <\/span><\/p>\n“I don’t get this thing where ‘he offended me’. People don’t offend you, you feel offended. It is how you take it. If you get offended by people shouting things or saying things then you are in the wrong game.”<\/span><\/p>\n