Rasharkin annual dinner

The Bannsiders slipped to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of the Swifts, who had gone 13 games without a win.

Speaking to Times Sporty after the game Kearney said he always lnew the game against Darren Murphy’s side would be a tough one despite their league position.

“Friday night will be no tougher than today as a team scrapping for their lives will be no different than a team fighting to get into the top half of the table,” he said.

“To be honest I’m fed up talking about teams and whether it’s going to be hard or easy, there hasn’t been a game this season where a team has lay down and rolled over for us and I don’t expect that to happen this season.

“Crusaders will bring as much as Dungannon brought to us today.

“We were very unlucky the last time we played up there, we probably should have taken the game into extra time at least.

“It has been a good six weeks for us, but in the same stretch as I’ve just said the the players it’s past now, it’s history, and I won’t let them start believing the hype or what anyone has been saying about them.

“The key things is we get out and get back to working hard again.”

Kearney is hopeful of having some of the injured players available again.

He said: “I think it’s a matter of days, maybe a week rather than months in terms of their fitness.”