Sean Friars knows all eyes are on basement battle

The Waterside men, who haven’t won in the league since November, have tasted success at Milltown early in the season and a repeat outcome this week would see them move off bottom spot above Town.

“It’s the biggest game in some of the guys careers,” he insisted.

“Both we and Warrenpoint lost on Saturday and it has been like that all season. When we were picking up points, they were doing the same and when we were losing games, they were losing games.

“Unfortunately for us they have picked up a few more points recently as they have leapfrogged us.

“Look we know it’s a massive game, because we are at the stage now that no one can start talking about this game and that game before the Warrenpoint match, it’s here now and yes it’s a massive game.

“It’s the biggest game I would say probably in most of the boys careers from the old heads to the new boys coming in, this is a massive game for us.”

Friars felt that Donegal trio Peter Doherty, Liam Walsh and James Henry all had positive debuts and also getting 90 minutes under the belts is something the ’Stute back-room team are taking from last weekend’s loss to Larne.

“I felt some of the new lads did well against Larne and they got 90 minutes under their belt and next week’s game is going to be difficult in different ways,” he added.

“But Warrenpoint aren’t Larne and that’s no disrespect to Warrenpoint, that’s more respect to Larne, because they are a full-time team, who are well organised, but yeah all eyes are now firmly on next Friday night.”

The ex-Limavady United boss conceded that Storm Ciara didn’t help either team.

“The conditions were tough, and we were playing against a good side, but yeah we are disappointed with the defeat,” he added.

“We just felt coming in at half-time and with the conditions so poor that we needed to get something to hold onto and we didn’t, but to be fair we didn’t create too much and the goal after half-time and with the conditions that bad, we knew it was going to be tough to get back into the match, so it was effectively over.

“Look I don’t think anyone gave us a chance of getting anything today because they are a good side. They have just beaten Glentoran and Linfield, so we knew it was going to be a tough game for us.

“We played with the wind in the first half, but we didn’t really play to the conditions and in the second half they created chances and took them.”