Higgins hopeful ahead of Cliftonville clash

COLERAINE manager Ruaidhri Higgins says his side is well prepared as they get set to welcome Cliftonville FC to The Showgrounds tomorrow.

The Bannsiders head into the fixture boasting an exceptional home record this season, and Higgins is hoping that form can continue as the league campaign approaches the split.

“The team has had good preparation this week,” he said.

“You can never predict the outcome of a game before it actually happens, but the players will be ready to go. We’re at home and have an exceptional record this season, 15 wins out of 18 - so we hope we can put on a good performance and pick up the three points.”

With only a handful of games remaining before the Premiership split, the Coleraine boss admits there is still plenty to play for.

“We’ve got a bit of work to do before the split. We have Cliftonville tomorrow and Glentoran FC next week, so we’ll know better going into the split what type of position we’re in.

“Football is a funny game. We can’t look that far ahead; we can only control what’s in front of us. Picking up three points against Cliftonville is very important to us.”

Higgins also provided an update on Captain Lyndon Kane, who is making his way closer to a return after a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

"Lyndon’s getting closer to coming back. He played some minutes for the Under-20s on Monday, and he’s feeling a lot better,” Higgins said.

"We’ll see how he goes over the next week or so before reintroducing him. He’s had a very problematic ankle injury for a period of time.

"It’s important for him, and for us, that we get it right."

Ruaidhri Higgins will be absent from the sidelines tomorrow alongside Kevin Deery after picking up a booking at the Dungannon Swifts match two weeks ago, after appealing a decision a 'tiny yard' outside of the box. "I appealed the decision, I'm not playing the victim at all, but it's getting to the point where they try and drain the emotion out of football - it's a game where you wear your heart on your sleeve.

"Conor Loughrey, Gerard Boyle, Luke McKendry, three people who have three brilliant football minds and are really good people - I'm very comfortable with the senior players in the group."