BATTLE FOR

Johnny’s done his homework and plans on ‘having a go’ at Milltown

JOHNNY HASTINGS has promised Larne Tech will “have a go” when they fly the flag for the Amateur League in their Irish Cup quarter-final against Warrenpoint this weekend.

The Dennis Harvey Park outfit are enjoying their best ever run in the country’s blue riband competition, and have been rewarded with a trip to Milltown for their efforts and a game which Hastings is adamant is not beyond their reach.

And certainly he has a point, as this is not the kind of David and Goliath match-up that cups traditionally produce.

As one of the minnows of the Danske Bank Premiership, the Point don’t provide the kind of impossible task their more illustrious rivals might, the likes of league leaders Linfield, or Gibson Cup holders Crusaders.

That’s not to pay Stephen Mcdonnell’s men any disservice. The young manager has worked wonders at Milltown. Of course they will be heavily fancied to progress, and all things being equal they will, but the Tech have been in superb form all season and Hastings is warning they stand ready to pounce if their hosts turn up with the wrong attitude.

“This is all new to me,” smiled the Tech boss. “We are massive underdogs. Warrenpoint are heavy favourites for it but we’ll go out and we’ll do what we always do.

“We’ll prepare for it like we normally do and we’ll go down and have a go. We’ll be respectful of course of Warrenpoint and how dangerous they are going forward, but we’ll certainly be playing our own game as best we can.

“But listen, when you are playing a team from the Premiership who are as good as Warrenpoint are going forward, you have to be wary of it.

“But we’re not bad going forward ourselves, so yes, we will be tighter than what we would normally play, and we’ll probably not be as adventurous at the back as we normally are, but we’ll certainly be going down there and having a go at it.”

The Tech warmed up for the biggest game of their season with an emphatic win at home to Dunmurry Rec on Saturday, with Paul Maguire’s hattrick taking his tally for the season to 42, and fellow striker Sean Ward also bagging a brace in a 5-2 rout.

Hastings has watched the Point twice this season, against Queen’s and Dungannon, and will be in attendance to run the rule over them one more time when they face Glentoran at The Oval tonight.

As solid as they are, all teams have weaknesses, and he’s hoping his inform strikers can take advantage of any complacency from the border outfit who have shipped 11 goals in their last three league games.

“They like to play expansive football and they leave some gaps in between their centre-backs so with Maguire and Sean Ward and the other guys who play high up the pitch, then hopefully we can get in behind,” said Hastings.

The Tech have accounted for St Luke’s, Dundonald, Dungiven, Dunloy, Limavady United and Strabane Athletic en route to the last eight.

So the Point represent a massive step up in quality for his team but, regardless of the outcome, Hastings says their run has been a shot in the arm for the club as well as keeping his players on their toes as they battle Killyleagh for the 1A title.

“I didn’t allow the players to think about this game too much because we had an important league game yesterday. I know that’s a bit boring, but now that’s over we’re all really looking forward to it,” said Hastings (below).

“This has certainly raised the profile of the club, people now know the name and it’s great for the club as a whole.

“It’s good for the players, for them to experience it, and it’s great for the social side as well. We are taking 250 people with us down to Warrenpoint at the weekend so that’s great to see and the club will get a turn as well.”

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