Institute host near neighbours Dergview in a must win clash

Institute manager Brian Donaghey knows his side have to start winning if they want to avoid the drop.

It really is squeaky bum time for Institute, as they face fellow strugglers Dergview at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium tomorrow afternoon (KO 3pm).

With just three games remaining, the Drumahoe side sit just two points above bottom side Knockbreda, however they know three points tomorrow would see them move above Tommy Canning’s men.

’Stute have now gone 19 league games with only two victories and Donaghey knows they need to start picking up three points in their remaining games, if they hope to avoid the drop.

To make matters worse, Tuesday night’s loss at Harland & Wolff Welders, was their 19th time they threw away a lead and those dropped points is something which frustrates Donaghey.

“If you take those points and add them to our total at the moment and I think we’re lying in the top three or top four,” the ’Stute boss conceded.

“It’s been a problem. In some cases it’s been individual errors, in others it’s a collective thing, but we have been shooting ourselves in the foot for a long part of the season and Tuesday night wasprobably another example.”

Derry City

The Waterside men face Dergview and Newington at home, before travelling to Ballinamallard United on the final day and Donaghey believes his squad can do enough to move up the Lough 41 Championship table.

“We still have three opportunities to dig ourselves out of trouble,” he added.

“I’ve got faith in the group and I just hope they believe in themselves as much as I believe in them.

"I’m just hoping we get a massive result come Saturday and it will kickstart us again and get us over the line because it has been a difficult and challenging year since Christmas.

“I could go through nearly every game bar two or three and see that we should have got something from them. We always seem to be in games and always give teams a game.

"We have taken points off all the top teams, so it means that we are a match for them, but slight apses in concentration and a bit of bad luck has been the story of our season.

“If Dergview take the gap to five points, there are only two games to play for and then there’s no margin for error. We can’t feel sorry for ourselves. It’s easy to do that, but I’m so proud of the boys because of their effort on Tuesday.”