Whites next up at Riverside Stadium

Fresh from their impressive 4-1 victory over Dungannon Swifts, the Whites will certainly be coming to the Riverside Stadium full of confidence, but 'Stute assistant boss Allan Blair is expecting a marked improvement from John Gregg's side.

"Without doubt this isn't going to be an easy game nor would I expect to be against Premiership opposition," he said.

"Hopefully we will have a few of our experienced players back for next weekend and that will help us. It will take some of the pressure off the younger players and in turn help us to play a bit better.

"I think it's important to have the right mixture of youth and experience in the team and hopefully that's what we'll have."

The ex-'Stute defender feels that having a few more experienced players will help lead the younger players.

"We don't have a lot of experience in the squad and it helps to have some older players to lead them. I know that in time the younger players will come good and then you will see the best of them.

"However in football you don't ever get the time that you are looking for and that's the case here.

"In senior football you are judged on the results not performances and that's the harsh reality of it."

Despite last weekend's defeat to Glebe Rangers, Blair doesn't think it will be hard to lift the players for this game.

"I don't think that it will be difficult to lift the players especially since we are playing Premiership opposition.

"The young boys have an excellent attitude and you only have to see them in training to know that.

"They train hard, their technique is good and they work extremely hard at what we ask them to do.

"We just have to make sure that we take the mentality from training to the pitch on Saturday and hopefully we can get a good result."