Sky Blues hoping to be Oval-joyed once again

Back-to-back defeats against Cliftonville and Linfield have seen United drop from joint leaders of the Danske Bank Premiership to a position in the bottom half of the table.

The Sky Blues put their remarkable recent record in away games at the Oval - they have won eight of their last 11 league visits to the east Belfast venue - on the line this Saturday (3pm).

Manager Glenn Ferguson said: “We knew coming into these four games - Portadown, Cliftonville, Linfield, Glentoran - that it was going to be difficult to get points.

“We started them well by getting three points against Portadown; against Cliftonville we didn’t get anything but we played well enough to maybe get a point; against Linfield on another day we might have got something if things had gone our way.

“We’ll be without our captain and we’ll have to make a change but we’ll re-adjust and lift the boys during the week and be prepared for it.”

Skipper Allan Jenkins is suspended following his red card for dissent at Windsor Park, but Aaron Stewart is available after a ban, while full-back Stephen McBride hopes to get the all-clear to resume this week after being sidelined with a knee injury.

Seven Towers Supporters’ Club transport to Saturday’s game leaves Henry Street car park at 1.45pm.