Manager’s programme notes
Posted : 8th May 2021
Today we resume our Irish Cup campaign, as we welcome Dungannon Swifts to Windsor Park for this second round tie.
Dungannon have had a challenging league season but they will come here free from the pressure of their league position and will believe that they can achieve a similar result to their impressive first round achievement in eliminating Glenavon at Mourneview Park.
The Irish Cup is a major priority for us and today's game is the latest in a long list of huge games in quick succession that our players have had to prepare for.
I can't give enough credit to our players for the thoroughly professional manner in which they've conducted themselves, on and off the pitch, through what has been a gruelling and demanding fixture schedule over recent months.
Dungannon impressed me with their style of play in both recent games against us and although we won 2-0, both here and at Stangmore Park, I've no doubt that Dean Shiels will have his side heading in the right direction before long.
Cup shocks are part and parcel of football across the world, as we experienced last year, and we must ensure that we are not on the receiving end again.
I was delighted with our 3-1 league win against Crusaders in midweek. Crusaders made life difficult for us on the night but our players carried on where they left off a few days earlier at the Oval, in seeing us through to a professional performance and positive and deserved result.
Mark Stafford played in the two huge games in a matter of days against both Glentoran and Crusaders, so he will be unlikely to feature in today's game. He was as impressive as ever, when called upon in both recent league games.
On Tuesday night Shayne Lavery popped up with yet another vital goal to continue his recent run of fine goalscoring form, to help us on the road to what were another hugely important three points. Joel Cooper's goal on what was his 100th appearance for the club, sealed the win and eased the pressure going into the nervy last few minutes.
It leaves us in a hugely pleasing position in the league table - eight points ahead of Coleraine and nine ahead of Glentoran with just the three games left.
We have a lot of hard work still to complete, to secure what would be a magical 55th league title for the club and while we know we need two draws, we want to win next week against Larne to clinch the title.
However, we won't turn our attention to that difficult task, until we've concluded our Irish Cup commitments this weekend.
I know our loyal supporters are right behind us in our quest for silverware over the coming weeks and I just want to make our supporters aware that they've been greatly missed and we look forward to the day when some form of normality can return and we can welcome them all back to our games.