ONLY WAY IS Bann seal Smith deal CUP

Nixon demands same form in the league as in knockouts

INJURY hit Coleraine last night moved to bolster their engine room by recruiting former Kilmarnock midfielder Martin Smith on a short-term deal.

The arrival of Smith, who has also played for Carlisle United, is a boost for Oran Kearney who has lost key central midfielder

Brad Lyons to a serious facial injury.

The 20-year-old underwent surgery on two broken cheek bones on Tuesday and is set for an extended layoff.

Kearney said: “With long term absentees, it was important to boost our midfield options and Martin will provide real ability in that area. He has good traits and will fit in well.”

Meanwhile, Coleraine striker Eoin Bradley doesn’t require surgery on a knee problem, but he is expected to be out until January or February.

New signing Smith is unlikely to have international clearance for tomorrow’s league trip to face Cliftonville at Solitude. ARDS boss Colin Nixon will challenge his players to transfer cup form into league points against Warrenpoint Town at the Bangor Fuels Arena this evening.

The North Down club made it three wins from three in knockout competition this season with an impressive midweek 4-0 victory over Glenavon in the League Cup.

Nixon pocketed many positives from Tuesday’s display – not least the fact six of his starting line-up are aged 21 or under - but he’s eager to start picking up crucial points in the Premiership. Ards have taken just seven points from 33 and have yet to win at home in the league this season.

He said: “We need to start showing some consistency in the league and get ourselves up the table. We were on our game against Glenavon and showed what we’re capable of.

“It has been a tough start to the season. We haven’t been able to field a settled team at times and we’ve maybe had a bit of bad luck, but hopefully we can kick on now.

“The aim is to produce the kind of form I know we’re capable of and to start picking up points. We’ve played well at home in the league and have lost a couple of games 1-0.

“I know if we put a string of performances together, the results will follow.”

While Ards have been hit for six twice this season – at Cliftonville in August and Ballymena last weekend – they have kept four clean sheets in their last seven games in all competitions.

Remarkably, they have as many clean sheets (six) this season as they did during the 2016/17 campaign.

Nixon said: “It’s something we knew we had to address and as a team we are defending a lot better.

“The two 6-3 defeats to Cliftonville and Ballymena were freak results and individual errors cost us.

“We have definitely tightened things up and we’re pushing forward. I genuinely believe the results will come, but we know we need to put a run together.”

Nixon is bracing himself for a stern test from a Warrenpoint side who head to Bangor on the back of a 2-1 win over basement club Ballinamallard last Friday.

However, he doesn’t subscribe to the media narrative that clashes between the bottom four clubs are ‘six pointers’.

He said: “Every time we play someone in the bottom two or three we’re told it’s do or die, but there are 12 teams in the league.

“It would be the wrong approach if we were to focus solely on the games against those teams in and around us. I’m more concerned about consistency.”

IN NEED OF POINTS Ards manager Colin Nixon wants his side to bring cup form into tonight’s match