Kane hoping to draw on past experiences

COLERAINE defender Lyndon Kane is hoping that the Bannsiders can use their recent good memories from trips to Windsor Park as they face Linfield tomorrow evening…

Oran Kearney’s men make the trip to the capital to face leaders Linfield who are nine points clear at the summit, having played a game more.

Full-back Kane knows there are many big games ahead and knows that the Stripes have worked hard to get into this position after an inconsistent start to the campaign.

“It is somewhere we enjoy going,” he said after Saturday’s draw against Glenavon.

“How can you not enjoy going to the National Stadium even though it’s empty?

“It is a great pitch, a great stadium and great changing rooms and if you can’t get yourself up for a game at Windsor Park, then should you really be playing football?

“We have won our last two cup finals at Windsor and it’s somewhere we enjoy going as a team.

“It’s about being well organised and Oran does a lot of homework and I’m sure we will have a plan in place.

“There’s ten games left and we have Glentoran three times, Linfield twice, Larne once, and Ballymena possibly twice, so it’s massive.

“After the start we made to the season, we could be at the stage where we are playing games for the sake of it and waiting for the Irish Cup to come around.

“This is the reason we have worked hard and clawed ourselves to where we are now and if you can’t relish those games then what’s the point of playing?”

Kane rued a lack of chances in the opening 45 minutes against the Lurgan Blues last Saturday but knew the writing was on the wall after twice hitting the woodwork after the interval.

“You don’t have to be bang on the money for the whole 90 minutes but you need to create chances,” he continued.

“I don’t think we created a chance in the first-half and you can play bad and create chances, but we weren’t getting the ball in the box enough and their keeper didn’t have a save to make.

“Sometimes you feel you don’t get the rub of the green as Skinner hits the post, the ball rebounds off Curtis and straight into the ‘keeper.

“There is one where Josh has a shot deflected and the ‘keeper somehow gets down and saves it.

“Stewart Nixon comes on and does well and also hits the post which makes you think it’s going to be one of those days.

“As a player you can’t think like that either as you have to keep pushing as you need every three points available.

“We tried to get them but it’s disappointing.”