Opportunity Knocks

DESPITE admitting injuries have hit the spine of his team in recent weeks, Oran Kearney insists he has been delighted to introduce several of the club’s young guns into his first-team squad…

The Stripes are currently without the likes of Stephen O’Donnell, Adam Mullan, Rodney Brown, Josh Carson, Stephen Lowry, Andy Scott and Matthew Shevlin through injury, with others being absent for certain games through knocks.

However, with the squad being low in numbers, Kearney has named Cathair Donnelly, Senan Devine, Alfie Gaston and Ciaran O’Hara in his matchday panel throughout the campaign.

That faith in youth was rewarded last weekend as O’Hara hit the back of the net in the 3-2 win at home to Loughgall as the Bannsiders prepare for the visit of Dungannon Swifts tomorrow afternoon.

“Every team brings their problems and Loughgall brought them last Saturday and Dungannon will do exactly the same tomorrow,” Kearney said.

“It’s up to us to make sure we dust ourselves down and see what we’ve got available, and try to pick up another three points.

“The injuries seem to be a conveyor belt.

“We’ve gone through a cycle recently where it’s affected our spine or the real graft aspect of our team.

“Stevie O’Donnell has only played two games this season, Josh Carson has played eight-odd games this season and Matthew Shevlin the same.

“You take the spine out of our team – never mind a team with a lot more money who have double the amount of players across all areas of the pitch – those three players have played 40-plus games for us the last couple of seasons and have been stalwarts of what we’re about.

“All of a sudden when you remove that out of a team, it makes it tough but it does give an opportunity even though it has hurt us in certain moments of certain games.

“The other one which has hurt us is probably Stevie Lowry as they’re have been so many scenarios that if we had him on the bench we could throw him on for 20 minutes to settle the ship and be that area of calm.

“However, it’s given Senan an opportunity for games, Alfie was ready to come on before Davy’s red card and Ciaran was handed a start at 17-years-old.

“We’ve got to use this as a positive as such and use it as opportunities to push forward.”

One notable absentee tomorrow will be Davy McDaid who was given a straight red card in the win against the Villagers.

That means the striker must sit-out the visit of the Swifts tomorrow and Kearney had no complaints with the red card brandished to the former Derry City and Larne ace.

“I’ve stood there before saying I haven’t had a good view of an incident, I need to see it and reserve judgement – but I’m not going to stand here and say it with this one,” he added.

“I had a good view of it, my heart jumped into my throat about two seconds before contact because Davy has always had that side to him and there’s no point me trying to defend that.

“Davy has an edge and a lot of people say it’s good to have that edge – and it is – but the edge went over the top and the wrong side.

“We don’t have any complaints with it.”