Sky Blues out to 'upset the applecart' this season

Ballymena United manager Oran Kearney believes a busy summer transfer window has allowed him to put his "own stamp" on the Sky Blues' squad. Kearney is preparing for his first full season in the Showgrounds dugout after replacing Jim Ervin last December. Ballymena have signed 10 new players and 18 have left the side in what has been a summer of transition after a lacklustre ninth placed finish last season. "There has been a huge number of ins and outs and that is not ideal," Kearney told BBC Sport NI. "You would not want it through a run of windows, but I think for this window it was important to try and put your own stamp on it and a level of freshness about us. "In the Irish League you have your four full-time teams and they should finish above the eight part-time ones but that is the exciting part for me and that is the challenge. That is what my job, we are as ready as possible to try and upset the apple cart." The 48-year-old managed Coleraine for 14 years over two spells and won the Irish Cup in 2018 and the 2020 League Cup during his tenure. Now, he believes that his experience can help the Sky Blues end their nine-year stint without a trophy. "It has been a brilliant time and one I have thoroughly enjoyed since coming in the door," he continued. "Whether people like it or not they are quite a lot of similarities between the Coleraine and Ballymena. They are both well supported country clubs and the big one is they would both love success and something to cheer about. "It has been a lot of transition, and I am looking forward to trying to bring some enjoyment and joy to this club."