‘Let’s finish with a flourish at home’

“It’s our last match at Inver Park this season and, after failing to win any of our last three matches there, the incentive to win this one is obviously there.

“I can assure supporters we will be going flat-out beat The Welders and finish with a flourish on our own patch,” said McAlinden.

“Last week was very disappointing, Saturday especially, because we should have been five or six goals up against Donegal Celtic before they managed to snatch a very late goal to take away a share of the spoils. But that’s what invariably happens when the chances are not taken.

“And, of course, there is no way we can be happy with being beaten 5-1 at home by any opposition, so to lose to Knockbreda by that margin was a real kick in the teeth.

“They are a good side, big and strong and clearly capable of scoring plenty of goals, as they scored five more against Dundela in their follow-up fixture.

“But we actually didn’t really play that poorly against them and most of the goals were down to individual errors. Sometimes you can’t legislate for that happening. But it really killed us last Tuesday night.

“Once again, however, it proves the unpredictable nature of this league.

“We keep saying that anybody is capable of turning over anybody else and it keeps being show to be true time and time again.

“But it is what it is, those games are now history and we can do nothing about them. But we can make amends for the disappointment the supporters experienced and there’s not better way to do that than by winning against Harland and Wolff Welders this week.

“Another incentive is the fact that they are sitting three points above us and we have a game in hand, so a victory would put us in with a terrific chance of finishing above them, although the last three games are all away from home and there’s nothing easy about them.

“So let’s get out there and give the fans something to cheer about in the last home game, the players well aware that they are playing for a shirt not just for the rest of this season but for next term as well,” added McAlinden, who is without the services of Caolan Gillan, still suspended.