INSTITUTE: Deery looks forward to transfer window opening

Although he would be the first to admit that he won’t have a big budget for January’s window, he does want the current players to raise their game if they hope to remain at Drumahoe.

“We have a couple of big games in the league coming up, which we have to take advantage of before the Christmas period,” he said.

“To be honest people have to show that they are willing to play in every game, as there will be competition for places and as we all know as a manager I’m always looking to add to my squad and we are coming up to that time of the year when I might be able to go and see what is out there for us.

“We are coming into a period where the players have to show their real worth to the cause now because if you cut the season into two halves, the first half of the season hasn’t been great, we have improved a bit.

“But we have to keep on improving in the second half of the season and players have to be ready to show that they are ready to do that.

“If not then I could probably go and see what is available for me.”

Deery is also keeping his fingers crossed that their form at the Riverside Stadium can keep improving.

Stute have only suffered two defeats at home and that’s a record the manager wants to maintain, as they have three games at Drumahoe over the next number of weeks.

“We have been good and have only lost twice at home this season, we lost against Warrenpoint and Annagh, so we have to keep that good record going,” he said.

“Yes it isn’t a perfect record, but it’s something we have to take pride in, especially in the league, we have only lost once in the league at home and we have to keep trying to make Drumahoe a fortress.

“We have a run of fixtures at home coming up and while I don’t want to look past Lisburn Distillery, but a win on Saturday would be massive for us in terms of our ambition to try and push into a top four or fifth place.”