Inver Reds pencil in clash with Queen’s

Manager Davy McAlinden will therefore be warning his players not to overindulge while enjoying their festive break.

The postponement of the much-anticipated clash against rivals Carrick Rangers may have been met with disappointment but McAlinden didn’t want his players lying idle for three weeks

“We take on Queen’s up there at noon, and while the boys will have lots of time to enjoy the Christmas holiday, I will be warning them not to overdo things,” he said.

“It’s not that I don’t trust them, because I do. They are a great bunch of genuine, decent lads, but you still have to lay down the rules anyway. “I’m having the players in on Tuesday night for a pretty intensive workout, then the Queen’s game on Saturday, followed by training on Tuesday and Thursday in preparation for the league match against Dundela on January 3,” said McAlinden, who says there’s a lot of irony in the fact that they have been drawn against Carrick in the Irish Cup.

“It’s more than slightly ironic that we will be hosting Carrick in this big match just two weeks after they got our league match postponed because it came two days after the Steel Cup final.

“It looks very much like the tie of the round, given that that there are no big Premier League clashes, so there will be a tremendous atmosphere and the fans will love it.