Manager Brian Donaghey hoping Institute have some home comforts

The Drumahoe club have been on the road over the last two weeks and have only played on home turf three times in their opening nine league games, so Donaghey hopes they can get some home comforts.

’Stute are coming up against an Ards team who have been somewhat inconsistent this season.

Matthew Tipton’s side have lost four of their opening nine league outings, but impressively have won their last two league games against Knockbreda and Dergview.

Regardless of their form, Donaghey just wants to concentrate on his own side and hopes they can return to winning ways themselves. In fact, the Waterside men’s record at the Brandywell this season has been decent, as they have picked up four points from a possible nine and in the matches they dropped points they were the better team for long periods against Ballinamallard United and Annagh United.

"We’ve only had three home games, everybody else has had four or five, so we’re happy we’re at home on Saturday,” admitted Donaghey.

"We played really well at the Brandywell so far and we hope that will continue.

"Unfortunately at the minute we seem to be playing a team who are on the up or have won a few games consecutively, but to be honest that’s okay.

”We don’t fear any team and I think when we sat down and talked about things after Saturday’s game that’s what we talked about, that having played everybody now bar Ards, we did okay.

"We need wee bits of luck to start going our way, but we’ll keep working at it.”

Ards travel to Foyleside in free scoring form having scored 10 goals in their last three matches with striker Adam Salley scoring five goals in those fixtures and he’s certainly one player who Donaghey knows all about.

”Listen, they signed Adam Salley, who I had an underage international level, he’s a Premiership striker playing in the Championship and I know their team very well,” insisted the ’Stute boss.

"They also have (Eamon) Scannell and quite a few other boys from Portadown, so he (Matthew Tipton) has waited his time this year and he’s definitely strengthened their situation.

“I’ve watched quite a bit of Ards’ highlights from games from this season and they’ve put in a few good results recently.

"I worked with the majority of them and, yeah, they’re in a good vein of form but I feel we’ll be fine, especially if we play the way we did against Ballyclare.

"Any of the highlights I’m watching, I feel we can get at them. My group is definitely growing in belief. You can see that belief but obviously the results haven’t been fantastic, but we’re definitely not far away.

"We have some bumps and bruises but hopefully we’ll have virtually a full strength squad.

"We’re already looking forward to Saturday and as I said it’s nice to get a 3 o’clock kick-off back at the Brandywell, because it has been such a long time since we did that."