Danske Bank Premiership: Coleraine v Crusaders (tonight, 7.45pm, live on BBC2)
WHILE a minor back injury has prevented Eoin Bradley assessing Matt Fitzpatrick in training, the Coleraine striker says he has heard good things about their new signing, who may make his debut against Crusaders tonight.
Bradley, who scored in last weekend’s Irish Cup fifth round win over former club Glenavon, may be competing for the same starting spot as Fitzpatrick, who has made the move from Belfast Celtic, but the south Derry man insists it’s all about mucking in for the greater good of the team.
Fitzpatrick has represented Antrim at senior level in Gaelic football and former Derry star Bradley can see parallels in their respective beginnings with Oran Kearney’s side.
“He’s [Fitzpatrick] definitely on the panel and Oran will probably try to give him a few minutes tomorrow night,” Bradley said.
“I was chatting to him last week at the Glenavon match and I says to him it’ll be a great time to get your debut because, at the end of the day, you want to challenge yourself against the best teams and Crusaders are one of the best teams in the league. I remember my debut was against Ballymena, it was a big derby game and I was looking forward to it, so I said to him to just look forward to it.
“Any reports I’ve heard about him from training, he’s exciting stuff. Everybody has good things to say about him, so hopefully he’ll be able to muck in. It’ll not be easy for him but, as I say, the reports are good.”
Coleraine went through a sticky patch from mid-November on, losing to strugglers Warrenpoint and Institute and rivals Cliftonville, but they appear to have come through it with their title ambitions intact and their confidence high.
“Every game against Crusaders is a tough game, so tomorrow night will be no different,” Bradley added.
“We’ve beat them twice, but sure we done the same to Linfield and then Linfield came down over Christmas and gave us a real tough game and we only got the draw. Look, them four or five top teams – ourselves, Crusaders, Cliftonville, Glentoran, Linfield – there’s not much between them. It’ll be tough battle, you know what you’re going to get with Crusaders, but we’ll hopefully get the three points.
“We’d a couple of good results there the last lot of weeks. We’d a great start to the season and maybe now that wee dip is over we’re kicking back on. We’ve people coming back from injury and we’ll maybe sign one or two as well in the transfer market, so it’s exciting times.”
Captain Stephen O’Donnell is one of those returning to fitness and may be available tonight, while Bradley’s work-related back injury has been overcome with the help of a physio and a chiropractor, leaving him raring to go.
“Me personally, I’d say it’s probably been my most consistent year, performance wise. I haven’t been scoring a big pile – I think I’ve only scored seven or eight goals – but my performances have been good, I’ve been doing what Oran’s asking me to do, I’ve kept my place in the team and hopefully that’ll continue right till the end of the year,” the Glenullin man said.
“I feel as fit now as I’ve ever done. My weight now is down to where I want it to be, it’s not been since 2007 when we [Derry] got to the Ulster Championship semi-final that I’ve been this weight. So I’m down to a fighting weight and I’m feeling fit, I’m feeling strong, I’m feeling confident, so long may it continue.”
Win tonight and Coleraine go top of the Danske Bank Premiership, but Bradley knows there is a long way to go in the title race yet: “Them four or five teams are just right there and you’ve the Irish Cup in the mix too.
“It’s exciting times and you wouldn’t want it any way else. If we beat Crusaders, we’re top till at least Monday and then Cliftonville play Linfield and you don’t know what way that’s going to go, but there’s going to be a lot of twists and turns and you want to be involved in it.”
Also tonight, Carrick Rangers travel to Inver Park for the east Antrim derby with Larne, kick-off at 7.45pm.
