SAFETY FIRST MARK PASSED

MARK MISKIMMIN admits he’s taken a lot of satisfaction from how Derriaghy have fought back from the brink during his short time in charge of the club.

When the former Linfield striker replaced Marc Robinson in the Seycon Park hot seat, they were languishing at the bottom of the table on the same number of points – four – as basement boys Downpatrick.

But following Saturday’s 3-2 win at home to 1st Bangor, a third on the bounce in the league, they are now in the relative safety of mid-table and, as Miskimmin says, looking to make inroads into the top half, rather than nervously glancing over their shoulders.

“We’ve done well recently, from Christmas time, we have really kicked on,” said Miskimmin.

“We’ve won our last three in a row, we beat Drumaness 3-1, thoroughly deserved it, and we beat 1st Bangor at the weekend, and I thought quite comfortably, and then we beat Crumlin United 2-0 last week, so we definitely seem to be moving in the right direction.

“We signed Aaron Sharkey from 18th Newtownabbey in centre midfield and he’s made a big difference to us as well.

“We are definitely a lot fitter and a lot more organised, even since I first went in. At the start, you don’t know what you have got.

“We lost a couple whenever I first came in. I told the boys if they didn’t want to be there and if they didn’t have the fight and the bottle in them, then just leave.

“But to be fair, the ones who have stayed have bought into it, they have really dug in and the three wins have pulled us clear.”