Kevin Deery says Institute can't be distracted by Linfield Irish Cup tie as Newington visit

​Linfield will arrive on Foyleside for a 1pm kick-off next Sunday, March 3rd after Ards' appeal was dismissed and Deery hopes football fans from across the North West can make it a memorable occasion for the local club.

"It's brilliant and that's what we want," he said. "We want to be playing all the big Belfast clubs here. 'Stute have been deprived of that for the last few years so we're looking forward to that big tie.

"Obviously the day before is a massive sporting day with Dublin coming to play Derry at Celtic Park and Derry City playing St Pat's in Brandywell on the Friday so it's a cracking weekend of sport.

"It's brilliant for the city and we're hoping for a big turnout for that one. We don't draw large crowds so we're hoping we can get a large support on the day being a local team full of local staff and players. We would love all the support we can get."

Institute will have an opportunity to play top Belfast opposition on a regular basis on Foyleside should they reignite their NIFL Championship title hopes this weekend and keep the heat on Dundela, Bangor and Portadown who are all chasing top spot.

Linfield boss David Healy watched on from the Mark Farren Stand last weekend as Stute's uncharacteristic second half collapse in the 4-2 loss to Dundela derailed their quest of a top flight return for the first time since the 2019-20 season.

Healy was said to have been impressed by the first half performance from the home side before that second half unravelling but Deery doesn't think the Blues boss will be overly concerned at what he witnessed on the day.

"We have a massive game on Saturday and we're looking to respond to our disappointment against Dundela so we'll look at that first and hopefully we get a result which sets us up well for the quarter-final of the Irish Cup. So hopefully there's a positive couple of weeks.

"Our first half display definitely deserved more but we didn't react to setbacks. We're very young and inexperienced and when you're going for leagues, we're learning on the job so we have to respond and Linfield will be a really tough game. They're full of champions and have won the league so many times in the last 10 years so we're under no illusions.

"If they can go to Solitude and turn Cliftonville over 3-0 when questions are asked of them, let's not beat about the bush and think they will fear our first half performance against Dundela," he laughed.

"We played well. We didn't play well in the second half so we have to find a really high level if we're to try and cause an upset in the tie but it will be really difficult.

"No disrespect to the Championship. It is growing, it's getting better and the crowds are getting better but this will be a different kettle of fish to what most of our boys have experienced. We're looking forward to it but we don't want to be distracted.

"We got good news last night and we had a strong feeling it would go that way because we didn't do anything wrong on the day of the game and we won the game fair and square."

Newington will arrive at Brandywell on Saturday in confident mood having rolled over Portadown in a 4-0 win midweek. They face a massive Irish Cup tie themselves next week when they travel to Inver Park to take on Premiership leaders Larne so it's a big couple of weeks for both clubs.

"We really have to focus on Newington. They turned Portadown over 4-0 and I watched the game against Ballinamallard and there was nothing in that game where they lost 2-1.

"We have to show the levels we did for 45 minutes and get that first and second half right if we're to get anything off Newington. “They will be bouncing into the Brandywell that result.They have already turned us over twice so we will be in for a tough game on Saturday.

“They're in the quarter-final against Larne as well. So it's all systems go for both teams. We have a ding-dong of a league game and we want to come out the right end of it and then we both focus on the cup against the Irish League's top two."