McCarter focused on play-off encounter

Richard McCarter knows how important this weekend's game will be, not just for him and his team-mates but for the entire club.

"We are sort of used to these pressurised games, although we know that this Saturday's match is something which everyone has been striving for in the last two years," he said.

"Although everyone knows the importance of the game, I think we just need to put that expectation to the back of our minds and treat it as just another game.

"We have been playing some good rugby this year, but we know that we'll have to keep playing good rugby if we want to win."

The fly-half who has had a super season, believes despite only losing two matches all season, Derry will go into this weekend's big match as underdogs.

"I know because we have built up a bit of momentum by winning each week and our confidence is high, I still feel we'll be slight underdogs, because they (Portadown) are a senior team who will have been playing better opposition every week," he added.

"But as I have said we have been stringing a lot of wins together all season and because of that our confidence is high, while obviously because of where Portadown finished in the league their confidence isn't going to be that high."

Unfortunately for the Judges Road men they will be without influential Bob McKillop, after he was shown a straight red card during last Saturday's comfortable victory over Richmond, but McCarter believes the squad is big enough to cope without their skipper.

"Bob has been at the forefront of everything we have been doing this year and yes he'll be a massive loss, but I assume Philip Brady will come in and replace him and it's a great opportunity for him to prove his worth in such a big game and hopefully David Funston will be back to replace Ryan Campbell who did his hamstring."

For coach Bevan Lynch he's expecting a close encounter at Chambers Park.

"We are still in with a chance and that's all you can ask," admitted Lynch.

"Portadown are not a bad side. Division Three is a very tough league and there's not a lot between first and last. A friend of mine coaches Middleton who won promotion and the only game they lost all year was to Portadown which shows how tight it is.

"They have a good set-piece, a strong out-half and good centre pairing but reality is, if we can't defeat the second bottom team in Division Three maybe we're not ready for promotion and we think we are.

"Our boys are right up for getting back into senior rugby and it's going to be a ding-dong battle and will probably be a one score game."

Meanwhile the club are running a Supporters Bus, which will be leaving Judges Road at 10.30am sharp. It will cost 10 and to reserve places, supporters should contact Mike Poole on: (0772) 5957 407.