JJB Irish Cup fourth round

The trip to the international ground is one that is being savoured by the Drumahoe club's fans, players and board alike as McClean stated.

"It's a massive game for the club. A tie against Linfield is the sort of draw that a club in our position really savours. It's a massive day out, a great occasion for fans and players and nice financial boost for the club coffers. It's just a pity that we couldn't have played it at the Riverside but circumstances meant that that wasn't possible.

"We have a very young team and apart from myself and maybe two other lads it will be most of the squad's first game at Linfield and there's a great buzz at training at the minute. Games like this are one of things that keep you motivated when you are putting in are sessions at training on Tuesday and Thursday nights," he said.

With John Gregg in the process of building a young team this season, barring the likes McClean, Vinny Sweeney and Thomas Wray, this will be the biggest game that many of the squad have ever played in.

"Linfield are massive club in all aspects, they are financially strong, they have a big support and they have an amazing tradition. In any given year chances are they will be expected to go on and win the cup. The one thing in our favour is that we will be going into the game with very little expectation. Nobody will be fancying us to come away with a result. But it's still 11 versus 11 and as the likes of Stevenage showed in the FA Cup at the weekend, anything can happen once you step out on to the field.

"The key for our lads will be to not allow themselves to become overawed by the surroundings and the occasion. For some of the lads this might be the biggest game they have ever played in. You have to afford a side like Linfield respect but at the same time you have to get stuck in. You have to work very hard because if you stand back and let them play then they can rip you apart," he said.

Unlike many local players McClean has enjoyed the experience of inflicting defeating on the Belfast Blues on more than one occasion, although he has also seen the damage they can inflict when the humour is upon them.

"Actually I have some good memories of playing against Linfield. When I came into the first team as a 17 year-old we beat them three times in our first year in the Irish League. David Jeffrey was under a bit of pressure at that stage we beat them twice down here and once at Windsor. I've also seen what they can do when they are on their game because the fourth time we played them that season they hammered us 7-0. I think they'd had enough of us beating them by that stage," he said.

Institute will go into the game off the back of another weather enforced Saturday off following the postponement of their WKD Intermediate Cup game against Banbridge last weekend. However, manager John Gregg has been attempting to keep his side match-sharp by arranging friendlies with North West league sides.

"We played a friendly last week against Roe Rovers and we are playing another one this week against Newbuildings. With so many postponements over the last few months John has had to set up a couple of games just to let the players get 90 minutes under belt and try and get a wee bit of match sharpness, we definitely looked a bit rusty when we played Limavady on New Years day. The mood is good in the squad and hopefully we'll come through the Newbuildings game unscathed and then train hard on Tuesday and Thursday nights and be ready for Windsor on Saturday," said McClean.