Rodney McAree believes it is only a matter of time before Jay Donnelly hits the goal trail for Glentoran.
Donnelly has struggled to hit top gear this season and was left frustrated by another blank against former club Cliftonville on Sunday.
The 27-year-old has bagged four goals in 13 Premiership appearances this term but is still trying to rediscover the form that helped him claim the Golden Boot last season with 30 goals across all competitions.
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First-team coach McAree believes Donnelly just needs a bit of luck to kick-start a prolific run in front of goal.
"I thought he was brilliant against Cliftonville. The only thing he didn't get was a goal," McAree said.
"His overall play was much more like Jay can be. He just needs that wee bit of luck. All strikers need that.
"When he gets one, then hopefully it will be the start of a run. Maybe he is too eager right now.
"He missed a couple of penalties as well and things like that sometimes play on your mind. But Jay is a fantastic player and as soon as he gets a goal then the better it will be for everyone."
Donnelly's frustrations can be mirrored by Glentoran's recent dip in form, with the Oval men without a win in their last four games.
They have picked up just one point from their last three league fixtures, while Linfield knocked Mick McDermott's men out of the County Antrim Shield at the semi-final stage.
It has been a stark reversal in fortune for a side that hadn't lost a single game up until a 2-1 defeat to Glenavon earlier this month.
Despite the dip in form, McAree insists no panic alarms are being set off around the Oval.
"I wouldn't worry too much. We went to Glenavon and could have been two or three up and ended up losing 2-1," he said.
"We haven't been poor. We went to Coleraine and got a point. A point at Coleraine isn't a bad result.
"You get beat by Linfield in the Shield, and they are league champions. And we were competitive.
"And we were really competitive against Cliftonville. So I don't even think it's a wobble.
"We have to stick to what we're doing and we will be back to winning ways soon."
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