Manager’s programme notes
Posted : 1st December 2021
Tonight we will face a formidable challenge against a Carrick Rangers team that will aim to bounce back from a disappointing result on Saturday against Warrenpoint.
Stuart King’s team showed in their recent 2-0 win against Ballymena and in their scoreless draw with Coleraine that they are more than capable of obtaining good results against leading teams in this league, so we know we will have to be on top form to obtain the positive outcome we want from this game.
I was delighted with our recent 1-0 win against Cliftonville and our 3-0 win away to Glenavon. They were both fully merited wins and the clean sheets were a welcome bonus as well.
The quality of our play in both games was pleasing and the aim is to maintain the momentum going into tonight’s challenging game and beyond.
We will have several injury concerns going into tonight’s game - Jamie Mulgrew, Chris Johns, Niall Quinn, Cameron Palmer and longer-term absentees Conor Pepper and Jake Corbett were all unavailable due to injury on Saturday but what a pleasure and boost it was to welcome Kyle McClean back to first team action when he came on as a late sub after nine months out due to a cruciate injury.
Billy Chadwick suffered an anterior cruciate ligament knee injury in our recent game against Crusaders at Seaview and he has now returned to England to undergo treatment to assist his recovery.
Billy's loan spell was due to end in early January and while this has brought about a premature end to his playing career with us, I want to thank Billy for his contribution over the past few months.
We are all so disappointed for Billy and we want to wish him a speedy recovery. He was a popular player who fitted in well with the squad and we will keep in contact with him to learn of his progress during his rehab back to full fitness and a resumption of his playing career.
I want to congratulate our young Linfield Swifts squad who recently defeated Lisburn Distillery in the semi-final of the Steel and Sons cup and thereby qualified for the Christmas Day final against Newington at Seaview.
Several of our promising young players and Academy scholars - Ewan McCoubrey, Jack Montgomery, Josh Archer and Callum Marshall featured in the semi-final and the experience of the upcoming final will aid their development and progression into first team football, either with ourselves or further afield.
We are in the middle of a busy and challenging schedule of fixtures and I know that will place a significant burden on the budget of many of our supporters in the run up to the costly Christmas period but nevertheless, I hope we will have a healthy turn out of home supporters, to hopefully cheer us on to the positive result we will want in tonight’s vital League game.