Ruaidhri Higgins wary of Carrick Rangers threat

Coleraine head coach Ruaidhri Higgins warns it would be 'foolish' for anyone around the club to believe Saturday's game at home to Carrick Rangers will be straightforward given the respective positions of the two clubs.

The home side go into the game sitting second in the league table with 36 points from 18 games while their weekend opponents are one off the bottom, having accrued 16 points from their 15 games played.

However, the experienced Higgins believes the visitors are in a false position in the league and points to the vast experience in the playing squad and coaching team as reasons for optimism in east Antrim.

Last weekend Carrick Rangers conceded two late goals to lose 3-1 against Linfield at Windsor Park while Coleraine defeated Crusaders 2-0 at Seaview.

"Gerard Boyle was at the Linfield v Carrick Rangers game and we've watched it back," said Higgins in his weekly press conference.

"To say Carrick were right in the game is an understatement, they actually looked like the team that might go on and win it. They were really, really good in the game.

"All you have to do is look at their team sheet, look at the players they've got.

"It would be a huge, huge mistake to look at this any other way than a really difficult game, because that's what it is.

"You look at the experience of their manager and staff, then look at the experience of the players on the pitch.

"We understand that it's going to be a really tough game and we'll be hopefully well prepared and ready for it," he added.

"We've no divine right to beat anyone, we've no divine right to win anything, we have to earn it.

"We all have to earn it, collectively, the whole lot of us involved with the club.

"We have to remember where we've come from and remember the direction that we're going in.

"All you have do if you're a supporter or at the game is look at their team. Three of the back line – BJ Burns, Jimmy Callacher, Luke McCullough. Then you've got Leckey, Heatley, Gibson, Joe Crowe, Matthew Snoddy.

"It would be pretty foolish to think this is gonna be a simple game because it's gonna be anything but."