DOUBLE TOPS FOR WHITES

Pat sounds warning after great derby win over DC

IT’S game on again in the PIL this evening with four matches on the cards.

Lisburn Distillery’s 100% record will be severely tested when they travel to Moyola Park (7.45pm).

Queen’s have considerably less of a distance to travel as they’re at

Dundela (6.45pm) with Tobermore going to Donegal Celtic (7pm) and Sport and Leisure at Annagh (7.45pm).

Saturday sees Portstewart entertain Banbridge Town with both having won one and lost one so far.

TONIGHT:

Dundela v Queen’s, Donegal Celtic v Tobermore, Annagh United v S&L Swifts, Moyola Park v Lisburn

Distilllery

SATURDAY:

Portstewart v Banbridge Town PAT MCALLISTER has warned his players being best in the West will count for nothing if they don’t back it up.

Mcallister’s Sport and Leisure Swifts side emerged triumphant from their derby clash with Donegal Celtic on Saturday.

Having been forced to wait until December last season for their first league win, getting three points in their second outing this time around represents significant progress.

And Mcallister, right, wants his panel to build on the victory and, after surviving relegation on the final day of last season, he insists there’s a growing sense of optimism around the club.

He told Match On Tuesday: “Last season was no fun for anyone at the club the way it went.

“It was a slog. We were playing good football for the most part but just didn’t get the results we deserved.

“The lack of firepower hurt us last season but this year it should be a lot different.

“We’ve got Stevie O’neill in, Kevin Lynch is back and Darren Gallagher is scoring again this year – and the challenge is there for him to be top scorer again. The good thing is we have two or three still to come back in as well. They won’t play until they’re ready and we can say that because the squad is much bigger and stronger this season so we don’t need to take any chances.

“I’m really excited about this season because on our day I know we’re a match for anyone, as we proved on Saturday.”

DC got off to the perfect start in that weekend game at Glen Road Heights.

Gerard Mcmullan hit the back of the net with barely 60 seconds on the clock.

The Swifts got back on level terms through Darren Gallagher before the winner came in controversial fashion soon after.

Hoops players thought a goal-kick had been given to them only for Leisure to take a quick corner and score through Ryan Burns. It left the visitors baffled and irate, but Mcallister was pretty clear – in fact he thought it was his side who could have been aggrieved by the incident.

“We thought it was a penalty,” he said. “We thought it came off their player’s arm before going behind.

“So it was two million per cent a corner, at the very least.

“We put it down for the corner, took it quickly and finished it off.”

He added: “I was delighted with the victory.

“We actually played better in losing to Queen’s a few days before but that’s the sort of league this is.

“I thought the first half on Saturday was a terrific advert for the division.

“Passing football and two honest, attacking sides who were going for it.

“All credit to Donegal Celtic – I was very impressed with them. They will be right up there this season so to beat them was a great result for us.

“They scored in the first minute but we showed fantastic character to come back and then go in front.

“The sending off of their player actually affected us more in a strange way.

“I would have preferred it to have stayed 11 versus 11 because it was a better game.

“All credit to DC, they put us under a lot of pressure in the last 10 minutes but we held on well for a great win.

“Now we go to

Annagh United and we’ll be missing a few again.

“It’s hard at our level expecting boys to travel on a Tuesday evening with work commitments and other things but we’ve a big enough squad now so there’s no excuses.

“We’ll go there and try and build on Saturday’s win and keep the momentum building.”