INSTITUTE: Darryl McDermott expected to replace suspended captain

Kevin Deery’s side know a victory on Wednesday would move them up three places into fifth spot in the Championship One table.

Stute, who have won six out of their last eight league games, will be without centre-back Stephen O’Donnell for the trip to Darragh Park as he is suspended for one game after picking up his fifth caution of the season in the recent Intermediate Cup win over Newington.

The skipper’s absent means Darryl McDermott is expected to slot in alongside Mark Scoltock at the heart of Stute’s defence.

“We treat every game as a big one,” said assistant boss Paddy McLaughlin.

“I know earlier in the season people from the outside were chatting about the threat of relegation, but there was never any chat of that amongst ourselves, because we knew that we had the ability.

“We knew what we were doing and it was only a matter of time that things just clicked into gear and thankfully it has recently.

“Now seven or eight games later we haven’t looked back, we are just looking forward and when you are looking forward you just treat every game as the biggest of your season and it’s same again at Dergview.

“As we keep getting results and keep climbing the table, every game brings its own importance.”

McLaughlin knows that this Wednesday evening’s game is going to be tough and only a few weeks ago Richard Clarke’s side battled hard for a score-less draw at Drumahoe.

“I’m definitely expecting another tough game,” he added.

“I think despite their league position Dergview are a very good side, I felt they were well organised and fit side when they played us at Drumahoe.

“I think the lot of joy we have been getting over the last number of weeks has been our fitness, that fitness has been kicking in big time in the second half, as a lot of our goals, if not all our goals have been coming after the break and that isn’t just down to ability, it’s down to fitness and determination to get over the line, but we couldn’t do that against Dergview a few weeks ago.

“I was impressed at how hard they worked and how well organised they were, so going up to their ground is going to be another battle.

“I remember every time I played there it was always a tough physical game.

“I have been telling the boys that it’s going to be one of our toughest games to date, so we have to be ready to roll the sleeves up.

“The pitch isn’t great but to be fair the groundsman worked really hard on it on Saturday to try and get the match on, but they couldn’t control the rain and the game was right to be postponed.

“But that postponement means that the pitch will cut-up easily on Wednesday night, so as I said the boys need to be ready for a battle.”