Soccer

Warrenpoint Town boss Barry Gray understands apathy among Irish Cup minnows

Barry Gray takes his Warrenpoint Town side to Windsor Park tonight
Barry Gray takes his Warrenpoint Town side to Windsor Park tonight Barry Gray takes his Warrenpoint Town side to Windsor Park tonight

Danske Bank Irish Premiership: Linfield v Warrenpoint Town (Tonight, 7.45pm)

WARRENPOINT Town boss Barry Gray says he wouldn’t have a “big appetite” to compete in this season’s Irish Cup if he was managing a club that had been inactive for 12 months.

Newry City, Queen’s, Institute and H&W Welders have already withdrawn from this season’s hastily arranged cup competition due to the fact they haven’t played a competitive game in a year.

Several other intermediate clubs who have been included in the fifth round draw are still mulling over their options.

But Gray, whose Warrenpoint team face Ballyclare Comrades in their cup opener in early May, understands why clubs have said thanks, but no thanks.

“You’re going back to pre-season that is potentially for one game and then you stop again before pre-season will restart again in the summer,” Gray said, whose side travel to Linfield tonight in a league fixture.

“Even the risk of injury because players couldn’t be conditioned properly as they’ve been out for such a long time.

“People have said that you should only need three weeks of a pre-season, but this isn’t normal. Players aren’t normally sitting out for 12 months. If I was managing a junior team, I don’t think I’d have a big appetite to compete.”

Meanwhile, the Milltown men hope to perform better at Windsor Park tonight than they did on their last visit where they suffered a 6-0 drubbing on January 23.

‘Point, who are chasing down eighth-placed Glenavon after recording back-to-back wins over Dungannon Swifts and Crusaders, do bring better form into tonight’s clash with the league leaders suffering two defeats out of the last four, both to a resurgent Glentoran.

“The last Linfield result showed us what we need to do, that we’re still very much in transition to where we want to be,” said Gray.

“If anything, it was a good realisation for our board members that we need more players! We’ve beaten them once this year and, to be fair, most teams will only beat Linfield once a year whether you are top or bottom, or maybe not at all.

“For us, it’s more about reflecting on the last game we played them and making sure we don’t get turned over in the same fashion.”

He added: “Linfield are dangerous in all departments, but for me they are very good around the middle of the field. They can dictate the play and have pace to burn in advanced positions.

“You just hope that we can force enough mistakes out of them over the course of 90 minutes and that we can capitalise on that.”

Tonight’s fixtures (7.45pm unless stated): Linfield v Warrenpoint Town, Carrick Rangers v Crusaders, Glentoran v Ballymena, Portadown v Glenavon (7.30pm)