Carrick and Comrades gear up for derby day

“The boys realised that they had let themselves and the fans down against Banbridge, and I will have little difficulty in motivating them for the Carrick clash,” stated Comrades manager Gordon Chambers.

“After a defeat what better opportunity to bounce straight back than in a local derby?” he queried. “The effect of our defeat was minimised by the way the other results went for us, but still we dropped a place in the rankings, and we will be seeking points on Saturday afternoon.

“Except for Lee Rushe who is out with an ankle injury, and Simon McGowan who has been handed a six match suspension, we will be at full strength. Stevie McDowell is now clear of suspension, so he will also be available for selection.

“We will have training sessions as usual on Tuesday and Thursday evenings when we will work on a few aspects of our game, and make preparations for the trip to Carrick. I know that the fans of both clubs regard these matches as the highlight of the season, so I hope that there will be plenty to cheer about.”

Rangers also have a point to prove after they were hammered 4-0 by a rampant Donegal Celtic side in west Belfast. But Rangers boss Stephen Small, while clearly disappointed, was anything but downhearted and he’s upbeat as he looks ahead to the derby clash.

“When you set yourself targets and something happens to throw you off course, you have to take it on the chin and strive even harder to get back on track and that is what we must do now,” explained the Taylor’s Avenue boss after the defeat by promotion hopefuls Donegal Celtic.

“That’s what showing character is all about. You have got to take the setbacks and quickly move on. We’ve got the chance to do that now and I will be stressing to the players that we can arrest the little slide by winning this weekend a game that will not be easy to win.

“We took the plaudits when we were enjoying a good little run of results so we must expect a few brickbats when the results go against us. The best way to react is by winning on Saturday and I have every belief in my players and would be confident we can do that,” added Small.