EXTRA-TIME with Ciaran Donaghy

This time last week we were top of the league and everything was looking good. Fast forward seven days and we find ourselves down to fourth in the table!

All is not lost though, but things have become a bit more difficult if we are to achieve our goals for the season.

The teams around us have now caught up their games in hand and whilst we are down to fourth, there are only three points separating all of us. Things are now out of our hands in terms of winning the league, but all we can do is concentrate on going out and ensuring that we win our three remaining matches to give ourselves as much chance as possible of finishing the season on a high.

Our defeat to Knockbreda on Monday night was disappointing. We got off to a bad start, as they scored early on with a very well taken volley. But the other goals we conceded were very much preventable and we’re very disappointed with that, especially as our defensive record is the best of all the teams in the division.

Ben Roy took his goal very well, but again we missed quite a few opportunities to get ourselves back in the game. With our goal difference slightly worse off at the moment than our competitors let’s hope it doesn’t come down to that at the end of the campaign.

We tackle Knockbreda again this weekend, a game that has become crucial now, as maximum points in our remaining games will still at least guarantee us second spot and a crack at the play-off, if it’s not enough to finish in top.

Knockbreda have been a bit of a bogey team for us, as we haven’t beaten them in three attempts this year, but all of those games have been away from home.

The game will see our long-awaited return to Taylor’s Avenue, the first of our final three games which are all scheduled to take place there.

From the looks of things, a lot of hard work has gone on in getting the ground ready, so let’s get the Amber Army out in force and in full voice and ensure our homecoming is a happy one!