​Crucial City of Derry build on positive start says Head Coach Beddow

City of Derry Head Coach Neil Beddow says it's crucial his rejuvenated squad build on last week's excellent start when they travel to Dave Gallaher Park, Letterkenny on Saturday for a Championship 2 north west derby (k.o. 2.30pm).

The 'Green & Black' scored six tries as Lisburn were put to the sword 39-19 in last week's opening game of the league season at Judges Road, a display which delighted Beddow as Derry recovered from difficult second quarter spell to overwhelm Lisburn in the second half.

At the same time last week Ali Ferguson, who took over from former City of Derry player Adam Bratton as Head Coach in the summer, was experiencing a baptism of fire with a trip to league favourites Carrickfergus, the Donegal men shipping seven tries in a 45-0 defeat, a result Beddow insists they'll be looking to put right this weekend.

"I am expecting something similar to what we got last year against Letterkenny in the two games," explained the Derry Coach.

"Obviously they had a difficult result last week away against Carrick, but they will be looking to right the wrongs of that game. Ultimately we travelled down to them last year, and welcomed them to Judges Road expecting to beat them and we didn't. So we have a bit of work to right the wrongs of last year and I'm expecting a strong local rivalry between then teams, all the usual stuff.

"Listen we will go down with a reasonably strong team in the hope of picking up another win but we know we will have to be at our best."

Beddow is expected to hang a debut to lock Johnny Sproule after he joined from Omagh in the summer while there could also be a return to the 'Green & Black' for fit again Stephen Corr and Tiarnan Dillon after all three missed the league opener against Lisburn. Also returning will be scrum-half Jamie Millar who rejoined in the close season after spending last season at Dave Gallaher Park.

And Derry will travel with a point to prove themselves after the Co. Donegal club scored a Championship 2 'double' over the locals last season in the space of seven December days, winning 13-10 courtesy of a late Peter Scott penalty in Donegal before following that victory up the following week at Judges Road where they won 17-24.

"That's huge," stated Beddow when quizzed how important it is to follow up last week's encouraging start with a second positive result.

"And that has been the message to the players this week in training. We got the start we wanted last week; we got the five points and equally as important, we stopped Lisburn leaving Judges Road with anything, keeping them to zero points for the journey back down the road.

"It will be the same ambition this week, to go and get another result on the table and to continue building momentum and get more of the feel good factor about the club which I thought there was plenty of last Saturday.