Manager’s programme notes
Posted : 18th September 2021
Today we will face one of the toughest games of our season, as we welcome Coleraine to Windsor Park. Games against Oran Kearney’s side are always hard fought and close contests and I fully expect more of the same today.
Coleraine have been challengers for major honours in recent seasons and I’ve no doubt that they will again be competing for the big prizes at the end of this season.
Our domestic season has got off to a good start with wins against Crusaders (2-0) and Portadown (3-2) in the league, as well as the midweek 4-0 away win against Ballyclare Comrades in the NIFL League Cup.
All the games have been hard fought but I believe we earned and deserved the victories with good, solid, all round team performances.
Christy Manzinga has been creating a really positive impression with some excellent goals and I’m delighted to see him reap the rewards his hard work and effort have deserved.
It’s also been very pleasing to see our new signing forwards, Matt Green and Billy Chadwick on the scoresheet in the early part of the season. Goals breed confidence for strikers.
In midweek, it was pleasing to be able to give much needed game time to several players who needed it and I’ve no doubt that we will need to make full use of the depth of our squad, as we aim to compete on as many fronts as possible over the course of what will be a long and demanding season.
It was pleasing to give a competitive senior debut to young Adam Carroll in Ballyclare in midweek and it was also pleasing to welcome Jack Ruddy back from injury for Monday night’s Swifts’ game against Portadown reserves.
We will be missing Conor Pepper and Niall Quinn today due to injury, as well as our longer term absentees Kyle McClean and Jake Corbett.
We will have some special guests today, as we introduce our intake into our new Full time Academy. I know our supporters will give a warm welcome to Matthew Williamson, Josh Archer, Ewan McCoubrey and Jack Montgomery, as well as our two newest recruits, Callum Marshall and Diego Esquivel McGann.
A very special mention to our inspirational captain, Jamie Mulgrew who today will make his 639th appearance for the club and in so doing, equal the tremendous achievement of another club legend, William Murphy, who coincidentally and appropriately will be in the opposition dug out today.
I was delighted to recently agree a new contract with the club extending my commitment to the club to the end of the 2023-24 season. I want to thank the board for their backing and my staff and players for all their hard work which has brought us the success which we have enjoyed. However, we are fully focused on aiming to bring further success to the club.
Finally, it was great to see such good numbers of supporters in attendance at the recent away games in Portadown and Ballyclare and we look forward to hopefully receiving more of the same positive support at today's hugely important game.