Institute boss Brian Donaghey wants similar display at Dundela

Institute manager Brian Donaghey wants another ‘front foot’ performance at promotion hopefuls Dundela on Saturday afternoon (KO 3pm).
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The Drumahoe men easily saw off title chasing Annagh United in the Samuel Gelston's Irish Whiskey Irish Cup last weekend and Donaghey says that display is now their standard.

"We have to turn that cup performance into our league standard,” stated the ’Stute boss, "We told the guys this week at training that the Annagh result is only a good one if we go and maintain that level.

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"That’s the level they’ve set for themselves now and, to be fair, we were even a few short last week with Jamie Dunne and Darragh Kelly out because of illness.”

Orrin McLaughlin has scored twice in Institute's last four games.Orrin McLaughlin has scored twice in Institute's last four games.
Orrin McLaughlin has scored twice in Institute's last four games.

The Waterside club have been disappointing on the road this season, having only picked up eight points from a possible 36 and they are currently bottom of the Lough 41 Championship form table having secured only three points from their last five league games.

“We speak about our away form all the time and it’s becoming a bit of a bugbear, sometimes you’re better off not speaking about it,” added Donaghey, "But Saturday’s big performance had been coming. We drew against Warrenpoint here, we drew against Loughgall. We drew against the teams in and around the promotion places and we just needed that big result.

"I feel the Annagh result will give the lads a lot of confidence. They’ve bounced into training all this week and have worked really hard so hopefully we can get a positive result on Saturday.

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"Thankfully a lot of the stuff the coaching staff did leading up to the Annagh game came to fruition, that was another pleasing aspect.”

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Donaghey hopes the manner of the 4-0 win over the Portadown club will give a boost to his younger players.

"One of the younger lads has been in three or four squads and he’s had three draws, so the Annagh game was the first time he’s been in a winning changing room. It’s a different place when you’re winning.

"To be fair we haven’t had too many off days and once you have those senior players in and around the young players it helps everyone.

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"One thing I noticed against Annagh was when Patrick McLaughlin came on he made a big tackle and he could do that because the likes of Shaun Doherty and Cormac Burke were in and around him, they were patting him on the back and keeping him going.

"You only have that when your senior players are in a good position themselves to help the younger players and maybe that hasn’t happened as often as we would have liked.

"Maybe some of the senior players have been a bit insecure about their own form but now when they’re feeling good about themselves and that can only help us.

"Saturday was seamless; Alonzo (Clarke) went off for Paddy and you won’t have known it; Max McLaughlin and Aidan Campbell both came on and they did well.

"Our target now is to build on that result and performance, but we definitely need to sort our away form out.”