Boss wary of Glens Seconds

INSTITUTE manager Paul Kee is expecting a tough clash with Glentoran Seconds, in Saturday’s Coca/Cola Intermediate Cup quarter-final tie, at the Oval (KO 2pm).

Spike Hill’s side are currently three points behind leaders Ballinamallard Seconds in the IFA Reserve League and they have already secured the prestigious Steel and Sons Cup.

They caused somewhat of a shock when they deservedly defeated current Championship One leaders Ards 3-0, in the Christmas Day final, at Seaview.

“Glentoran Seconds have been good this year,” he stated.

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“They seem to be attracting good young players for the Seconds team and I know the boys who run the team, Spike Hill and Conor Marlin quite well, so they’ll know what to expect from me and I’ll know what to expect from them.

“We will have to go and try to take the game to them and see where that takes us.

“They are going to be strong, they have beaten Ards 3-0 in the Steel & Sons Cup final and by all accounts they beat them well that day, so one thing is for sure if we are to get through then we are going to have to be at our best, because they are definitely not to be underestimated .”

With the game taking place at the Oval, Kee admits that could help his side.

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“The big pitch at the Oval will suit us and it’s nice to play at those type of old traditional grounds and it’s a Premiership ground, so I can start telling the players ‘listen this is the type of ground you want to come to in the future’ and stuff like that.

“We want to keep a bit of momentum going in the league, as we are now in the business end of the season and we want to try and win as many games as we can, the next game is the most important one, it’s the Intermediate Cup and we have a chance of getting into a semi-final, so the boys will be up for it.

“But as I have said it’s going to be a tough game for us and I was a bit disappointed that we didn’t win on Saturday, because I felt in the last 20 minutes we had three or four good chances against Dundela, but we were a wee bit slack at times on Saturday.

“Over the next five or six weeks how to finish teams off, how to start games and how to take games to teams, is going to be a big part of our game. We are going to have to keep concentrating on what we are doing and hopefully it will come good.”

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The ’Stute gaffer will be without defender John Curran who starts the first of a two game suspension, while goalkeeper Marty Gallagher, Stephen Parkhouse, Ryan Semple and Corey Hegarty are all struggling.

“There is no reason why (Dean) Jarvis can’t play at centre-back, he has played there a lot of times this season and played well, so we have options.

“Parky injured his back against Dundela and that’s why he came off, while Corey, Marty and Semps all have wee knocks, so we’ll see how they are later in the week.

“My plan has always been to blood more young players into the side during the Intermediate Cup and I’m not going to change that, so one or two of the younger ones who did well against Derry City last night (Tuesday), then they’ll be involved in the squad on Saturday at the Oval.”