Institute aim for positive result at Newington

The Drumahoe side travel to Solitude tonight aiming for their first points of the season but Donaghey isn’t too concerned with their early season form.

’Stute let slip at least a share of the spoils against Annagh United on Saturday when they suffered a narrow 2-1 loss, this after Jack Coyle marked his debut with the opening goal. However goals from Jordan Campbell and Craig Taylor in the space of three minutes late-on meant the 10-men were defeated.

However Donaghey, while obviously disappointed with the loss, took positives from the game and wants his side to put on a big performance in Belfast tonight.

“If we weren’t playing well, and if we weren’t performing to the level we are, then I would be worried but I’m not overly concerned to be honest,” he stated, “We can’t be talking about referees all the time. It’s a problem in the Premiership never mind the Championship so, listen, we just have to try and gather ourselves for Tuesday night.

“The Newington game comes very quickly which isn’t a bad thing. We’re going to a very good surface at Solitude where we’ll hopefully put on a big display.

“Newington are always going to be a very, very tough game. They are all from the local area, they all socialise together and they’re a real north west Belfast team who I have come up against many a time when I was at Cliftonville. They’re going to be very, very tough.

“They have now got two good results and are sitting on four points but, listen, there’s no better place and hopefully we can get something out of the game.”

The Waterside men will be without goalkeeper Doherty while striker Coyle is an injury concern after he had to be substituted with a knee injury on Saturday. On the plus side though midfielder Mark McFadden, who has returned from America, could be available.

“Jack opened his knee a bit and we’ll see how his knee responds and reassess him on Tuesday,” added Donaghey. “Mark McFadden is back and should be available and we may have one more.”

Donaghey described the manner in which is side lost to the Portadown men at the weekend as a learning curve for his young new look squad.

“Saturday’s game is a learning curve for a lot of our younger players,” he said. “It’s a tough, uncompromising league and if you are waiting for referees to pull you out of a hole then you can forget about it.

“We definitely looked brighter and had chances from a corner and a few others so I just failed to believe how we didn’t get something from the game. We have thrown away valuable points on Saturday.

“Jamie Dunne has been wrestled to the ground and can’t get up as their lad is obviously holding him down. The referee lets it go and four or five seconds later they score from the next phase of play! It was an easy decision for the referee to make but he didn’t give it and then we pushed the self-destruct button after their equaliser.

“Dylan has come out and has lost his bearings a bit and handled the ball outside the box but is it a sending off? I have to admit I’m not too sure what the rules of the game are anymore. Maybe because it’s a free-kick you have to red card him but if it’s a penalty he stays on the pitch.

“Gareth (Muldoon) has come on and he’s probably not warmed up enough and while he gets a hand to the free-kick, the ball still smuggled across the line - whether it is across the line, I would need to look at it again.”